&£> 


THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 
OF  CALIFORNIA 

LOS  ANGELES 


.  /'f//i/f,i-/t,-i/  />v  /fenry  Hvvren  ^-In, 


SERIES 


LECTURE  SERMONS, 


BELIVERED   AT   THE 


SECOND  UNIVERSALIST  MEETING, 


IN  BOSTON. 


BY  HOSEA  BALLOU,  PASTOR. 


•;  Search  the  Scriptures,  for  in  them  ye  think  ye  have  eternal 
and  they  are  they  which  testify  of  me." — JESVS  CHRIST. 
"  Let  us  go  on  to  perfection." — ST.  PAVL. 


BOSTON  : 

AIVD   PUBLISHED    BY   HEWRT   BOW£.\. 


1818. 


District  of  Massachusetts,  to  wit  : 

District  Clerk's  Office. 

BE  it  remembered,  that  on  the  thirty-first  day  of  August,  A.  D.  Eighteen 
hundred  and  eighteen,  in  the  forty-third  year  of  the  Independence  of  the 
United  States  of  America,  HENRY  BO  WEN,  of  the  said  District  hath 
deposited  in  this  Office  the  Title  of  a  book  the  Right  whereof  he  claims 
as  proprietor,  in  the  words  following,  to  wit  .- 

*'  Ji  Series  of  Lecture  -Sermons,  delivered  at  the  Second  Univtrsalist 
Meeting,  in  Boston,  by  HOSEA  BALLOU,  Pastor. 

"  Search  the  Scriptures,  for  in  them  ye  think  ye  have  eternal  life,  and 
they,  are  they,  which  testify  of  me." — JKSUS  CHRIST. 
"  Let  us  go  on  to  perfection." — ST.  PAUL. 

In  conformity  to  the  Act  of  the  Congress  of  the  United  States,  entitled^ 
"  An  Act  for  the  Encouragement  of  Learning,  by  securing  the  Copies  of 
Maps,  Charts,  and  Books,  to  the  Authors  and  Proprietors  of  such  Copies, 
during  the  Times  therein  mentioned  :"  and  also  to  an  Act  entitled, "  An 
Act  supplementary  to  an  Act  entitled  An  Act  for  the  Encouragement  of 
Learning,  by  securing  the  Copies  of  Maps,  Charts  and  Books,  to  the 
Authors  and  Proprietors  of  such  Copies  during  the  times  therein  mention- 
ed ;  and  extending  the  Benefits  thereof  to  the  Arts  of  Designing,  Engrav- 
ing and  Etching  Historical,  and  other  Prints." 

JOHN  W.  DAVIS,  Clerk  of  the  District  of 
Massachusetts. 


BX 


B2.U 


SERMON. 


1.  TIMOTHY,  i.  15. 

rt  T&ts  is  a  faithful  saying,  and  worthy  of  all  acceptation.  Thai 
Christ  Jesus  came  into  the  world  to  save  sinners  ;  of  whom  I  am 
Chief." 

THE  subject  on  which  the  Apostle  was  speaking, 
and  which  led  him  to  make  the  important  declara- 
tion contained  in  our  text,  is  worthy  of  special 
notice.  Under  a  deep  sense  of  the  goodness  of 
God,  the  grace  which  he  had  received  in  the  Lord 
Jesus,  the  distinguished  and  important  station  in 
which  he  was  placed  by  the  great  Captain  of  our 
salvation,  it  was  impossible  for  him  not  to  take  a 
most  humiliating  retrospective  view  of  his  past  life 
in  the  Jews'  religion,  while  an  enemy  to  Jesus,  a 
blasphemer,  and  a  persecutor  of  the  church.  All 
these  weighty  considerations  having  their  natural 
operations  on  his  mind,  seemed  to  present,  in  full 
view,  before  his  mental  vision,  the  great  and  glorious 
errand  on  which  the  Lord  Jesus  was  sent  into  our 
world.  If  it  could  have  been  so,  that  the  Apostle, 
while  engaged  in  the  ministry  of  Jesus,  could  have 
retained  his  former  confidence  in  his  own  righteous- 
ness, and  had  been  of  the  opinion,  that  he  was  a 
favorite  of  heaven,  that  he  was  enlightened  into  the 
knowledge  of  the  gospel,  and  even  put  into  the 
ministry  because  his  former  conduct  had  merited 
these  favors,  it  is  evident  that  such  views  could 
never  have  led  him  to  make  the  statement  found  in 
our  text.  Confirmed  in  such  a  persuasion,  he  would 
have  preached  a  Saviour  for  the  righteous,  yea,  for 

1273614.    ' 


4 

ibe  righteous  only.  He  would  have  despised  the 
least  intimation  of  the  salvation  of  sinners.  He 
would,  no  doubt,  have  looked  on  such  intimation, 
as  an  heresy  of  a  most  dangerous  tendency.  But 
the  case  with  the  great  Apostle  of  the  Gentiles  was 
very  different.  He  had  been  led  to  see,  that,  not 
as  a  righteous  man,  but  as  the  chief  of  sinners  he  had 
been  visited  with  the  abundance  of  that  grace  by 
which  he  was  so  highly  distinguished.  He  there- 
fore looked  on  himself  as  sufficient  proof  of  the  tes- 
timony which  he  bore.  Such  as  the  following  were, 
no  doubt,  the  reflections  of  his  mind ;  I  know  for 
certainty,  that  I  was  a  mosj  deadly  enemy  of  this 
lovely  Jesus  whom  I  now  delight  to  serve ;  I  jknow, 
that  in  my  opposition  to  this  religion,  I  was  exceed- 
ingly mad,  and  I  caused  many  of  the  harmless,  inof- 
fensive disciples  of  Christ,  both  men  and  women, 
to  feel  the  weight  of  my  displeasure.  Such  was 
my  blind  zeal,  such  the  enmity  that  rankled  in  my 
heart  against  him  and  his  doctrine,  who  was  a  friend 
to  sinners,  that  "  I  thought  I  ought  to  do  many 
things  contrary  to  the  name  of  Jesus ;"  and  I  per- 
secuted the  saints  "  unto  the  death."  But,  O  won- 
derful to  behold!  I  am  now  a  most  joyful  subject 
of  that  grace  to  which  I  was  such  an  enemy.  From 
such  reflections  might  very  justly  be  drawn  this  con- 
clusion ;  "  This  is  a  faithful  saying,  and  worthy  of 
flll  acceptation,  that  Christ  Jesus  came  into  the 
world  to  save  sinners ;  of  whom  I  am  chief." 

This  testimony,  that  Christ  Jesus  came  into  the 
world  to  save  sinners  is  sufficiently  corroborated  by 
other  scriptures.  When  those,  in  the  days  of  Jesus, 
who  thought  they  were  righteous  and  despised  oth- 
ers, found  fault  with  the  Saviour,  because  he  was  a 
friend  to  sinners,  he  plainly  told  them, that  he  "came 
not  to  call  the  righteous, but  sinners  to  repentance;" 
he  furthermore  represented  the  same  divine  truth  in 
that  remarkably  instructive  saying ;  "  The  whole 
need  not  a  physician,  but  they  that  are  sick." 
Moreover,  he  enlarged  on  this  subject  in  several 


5 

beautiful  parables,  th«  design  of  which  was  to  re- 
present the  repentance  of  sinners.  The  blessed 
Redeemer  testified  that  "  God  sent  not  his  son  into 
the  world,  to  condemn  the  world,  but  that  the  world 
through  him  might  be  saved."  The  declaration  of 
the  Angel  to  Joseph,  "  Thou  shalt  call  his  name 
Jesus  for  he  shall  save  his  people  from  their  sins," 
is  in  direct  proof  of  what  is  testified  in  our  text. 

There  are  two  good  reasons  why  Jesus  was  not 
sent  to  call  the  righteous.  First.  There  were  none. 
"  When  God  looked  down  from  heaven  upon  the 
children  of  men,  to  see  if  there  were  a«y  that  did 
understand,  and  seek  God.  They  are  all  gone  aside, 
they  are  altogether  become  filthy ;  there  is  none 
that  doeth  good,  no,  not  one."  After  the  Apostle 
had  described,  in  his  epistle  to  the  Romans,  the 
abominable  character  of  the  wicked,  he  adds ; 
"  What  then,  are  we  better  than  they  ?  no,  in  no 
wise :  for  we  have  before  proved  both  ?  Jews  and 
Gentiles,  that  they  are  all  under  sin ;  as  it  is  written, 
There  is  none  righteous,  no,  not  one."  Again  to 
the  same  point;  "  For  all  have  sinned  and  carne 
short  of  the  glory  of  God."  Secondly.  If  there 
had  been  any  righteous,  they  would  not  have  needed 
Jesus  to  call  them  to  repentance.  It  is  as  improper 
for  a  righteous  man  to  repent,  as  it  is  for  a  well 
man  to  take  medicine.  If  the  man  in  health  should 
lake  medicine,  it  would  be  likely  to  render  him  in- 
disposed ;  and  if  a  righteous  man  should  repent,  he 
would  render  himself  wieked. 

If  it  be  allowed,  as  has  been  proved,  that  Christ 
Jesus  came  into  the  world  to  save  sinners,  and  that 
the  gospel  seeks,  as  subjects  of  its  grace,  sinners  only, 
then  it  should  never  be  argued,  that  there  are  some 
who  cannot  be  saved  because  they  are  sinners. — 
This  contains  the  absurdity,  that,  that  which  ren  lers 
salvation  necessary  is  an  objection  to  it.  If  we  may 
further  notice  the  observation  of  the  Saviour,  it  is 
pertinent  to  remark  on  the  impropriety  of  saying, 
that  because  the  patient  is  sick,  therefore,  the  phy- 


sician  will  administer  or  prescribe  nothing.  Nor 
would  the  extremity  of  a  case  render  the  objection 
in  the  least  plausible,  unless  the  malady  was  of  such 
a  nature  as  to  bid  defiance  to  the  power  of  medi- 
cine ;  but  on  the  contrary,  the  more  indisposed 
the  patient  might  be,  the  greater  would  be  the 
urgency  for  relief.  It  is  granted,  that  this  calcula- 
tion is  not  a  little  wide  from  that  which  is  more 
common,  in  which  it  is  supposed,  that  the  grace  of 
the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  may  extend  to  the  condition 
of  those  who  are  sinners  in  a  certain  degree,  be- 
yond which  point  our  spiritual  physicians  justify 
themselves  in  saying  the  grace  of  God  can  never 
extend.  However,  no  small  encouragement  is  de- 
rived from  the  divine  testimony,  that  "  where  sin 
abounded,  grace  did  much  more  abound  :  that  as 
sin  hath  reigned  unto  death,  even  so  might  grace 
reign  through  righteousness  unto  eternal  life,  by 
Jesus  Christ  our  Lord."  These  blessed  words  are 
"  like  apples  of  gold  in  pictures  of  silver,"  Never 
was  cold  water  to  the  thirsty  soul  so  grateful  as 
these  words  of  eternal  life. 

The  attention  of  the  hearer  is  now  most  earnest- 
ly invited  to  the  consideration  of  the  following 
question.  What  did  Christ  Jesus  come  into  the 
world  to  save  sinners  from  ?  Your  public  servant 
has  heretofore  laboured  this  question  in  this  place  ; 
but  being  persuaded  that  the  general  sentiment 
entertained  among  professed  Christians  on  this  ques- 
tion is  not  according  to  scripture,  it  is  felt  to  be  a 
duty  to  endeavour  to  throw  as  much  light  on  the 
subject  as  the  present  opportunity  will  permit. 

No  doubt  many  of  the  audience  have  already 
made  up  their  minds,  that  the  question  proposed 
with  so  much  solicitude  is  very  easily  answered, 
and  is  too  free  from  difficulty  to  render  much  at- 
tention to  the  subject  necessary. 

Though  it  is  greatly  to  be  wished  that  this  were 
the  case,  it  is  presumed  that  a  concise  view  of  the 
generally  received  opinion,  on  this  subject,  will  at 


ence  discover,  that  erroneous  notions  have  beea 
and  still  are  entertained  of  it. 

The  general  opinion,  which  we  shall  endeavour 
to  disprove,  supposes  that  "Christ  Jesus  came  into 
the  world  to  save  sinners"  from  the  demands  of  vin- 
dictive justice,  which  recognised  the  whole  sinful 
family  of  man  under  the  penalty  of  endless  punish- 
ment, frequently  called  eternal  death.  This  opin- 
ion of  the  penalty  required  by  the  divine  law  is  ex- 
pressed in  the  Catechism  as  follows  ;  "  All  mankind, 
by  reason  of  the  fall,  lost  communion  with  G<xl, 
fell  under  his  wrath  and  curse,  was  made  liable  to 
the  miseries  of  this  life,  to  death  itself,  and  to  the 
pains  of  hell  forever."  From  the  everlasting  pains 
of  hell,  the  same  creed  teaches  us  to  believe,  that 
Jesus  Christ  was  appointed  to  save  a  part,  and  but 
a  part  of  mankind.  The  way  by  which  it  is  sup- 
posed that  the  Saviour  undertook  to  save  sinners 
from  eternal  punishment,  was  by  suffering  the  pen- 
alty in  room  of  the  sinner  ;  so  that  justice  being 
satisfied,  pardon  and  everlasting  salvation  could  be 
granted  to  the  guilty  without  any  infringement  of 
strict  justice.  Dr.  Watts  expresses  this  scheme-  of 
salvation  nearly  as  follows ; 

"  I  was  a  rebel  doom'd  to  fire, 

Doom'd  to  endure  eternal  pains, 

He  on  the  wings  of  swift  desire, 

Assum'd  my  guilt  and  took  my  chains."  4,^ 

Again ; 

"  He  quench'd  his  Father's  flaming  sword, 
In  his  own  vital  blood." 

But  it  is  needless  to  take  up  time  to  be  very  par- 
ticular in  showing  what  this  common  sentiment  is, 
for  the  most  of  us  have  been  learning  it  from  the 
beginning  of  childhood. 

Some  of  the  objections  to  this  scheme  of  salva- 
tion are  the  following ;  1st.  The  total  silence  of 
the  divine  testimony  respecting  this  supposed  pen- 


8 

alty  of  the  divine  law.  In  the  divine  threatening 
denounced  in  the  garden  there  is  nothing  intimated 
concerning  this  penalty  of  "  eternal  death,"  or  the 
"  pains  of  hell  forever."  In  the  malediction  on 
Cain  for  the  murder  of  his  brother,  there  is  nothing 
on  this  hereafter  eternal  penalty.  In  all  the  law 
given  by  Moses,  containing  a  minute  description 
of  most  terrible  curses,  which  in  severity  extend  to 
the  utmost  capacity  of  man  to  suffer  in  this  life, 
there  is  not  a  single  suggestion  relating  to  this  pen- 
alty of  eternal  punishment  in  a  future  state. 

2.  The  supposition  of  such  a  penalty  seems  dis- 
honourable to  the  divine  Being,  because   it  could 
not  have  been  enacted  with  any  design  to  reclaim 
the  sinner ;  arid  must,  therefore,  be  entirely  repug- 
nant to  the  character  of  God  as  a  Father  of  his  crea- 
tures.    A  parent  cannot,  consistently  with  parental 
love,  subject  a  child  to  any  penalty  for  faults  com- 
mitted, which  in  room  of  being  directed  to   reform, 
would  inevitably  prevent  repentance  and  reforma- 
tion forever.     The  word  of  God  informs  us,  that 
he  u  is  love,"  and  that  he  is  "  our  Father  in  heaven.'* 
Now  if  this  be  true,  the   opinion,  that  there  ever 
was  any  vindictive  wrath  in  God,  which  demanded 
the  sinner's  eternal  banishment  from  our  Father  in 
heaven  must  be  \an  egregious  error,  and  one  that 
very  mucji  obscures  and  dishonours  the  ever  bles- 
sed Father  of  our  spirits. 

3.  If  mankind  justly  deserved  this  supposed  pen- 
alty, on  account  of  sins  committed  against  the   di- 
vine law,  how  could  it  possibly  be  just  for  one  who 
was  not  a  sinner  to  suffer  it  ?     To  condemn  the  in- 
nocent and  clear  the  guilty  is  strictly  forbidden  in 
the  law. 

4.  The  supposition,  that  this  penalty  did  actual- 
ly lie  against  the  sinners  which  Jesus  came  to  save, 
and  that  he,  in  the  sinner's  room  and  stead,  did  act- 
ually suffer  this  penalty,  embraces  the  absurd  sup- 
position that  Jesus  suffered  eternal  misery  in  a  few 
days. 


3.  If  according  to  the  common  opinion,  the 
alty  of  the  law  subjected  men  "  to  all  the  miseries 
of  this  life,  to  death  itself,  and  to  the  pains  of  heH 
forever,"  if  Jesus  suffered  the  penalty  for  the  elect 
why  are  the  elect  any  more  liable  now  in  this  state 
to  the  miseries  of  this  life  and  to  death  itself,  than 
to  the  pains  of  hell  forever  ?  Most  surely,  if  Jesus 
bore  the  whole  penalty  of  the  law  in  room  and  stead 
of  the  sinner,  then  it  certainly  cannot  be  just  for 
the  sinner  to  bear  one  part  of  this  penalty  any  more 
than  another.  But  there  are  none  who  do  not  par* 
take  of  the  miseries  of  this  life  in  some  degree  ; 
and  there  are  none  who  are  exempt  from  death. 

Having  shown  that  the  common  opinion  respect-* 
ing  salvation  is  erroneous,  having  no  scripture  au- 
thority for  its  support  and  being  contrary  to  all  re- 
vealed justice,  we  may  proceed  to  notice  some  di- 
rect evidence  from  scripture  against  it.    But  here 
we  may  be  concise.     In  the  law  given  by  Moses, 
there  is  a  continued  thread  of  plain  testimony,  that 
as  a  nation  the  house  of  Israel  would  be  punished 
accordingly  as  they  should  depart  from  the  stat- 
utes and  judgments  which  the  Lord  commanded 
them  :  and  accordingly  we  are  informed  in  the  sa- 
ered  pages,  that  God  punished  them  from  time  ta 
time  as  their  perverse  and  wicked  conduct  deserv- 
ed.    So  likewise  are  we   assured,  that  the  divine 
Being  punished  other  nations  for  their  wickedness  : 
such  as  Babylon,  Nineveh,  Tyre,  Egypt  &c.    In 
relation  to  the  crimes  of  individuals  we  well  know 
that  God  instituted  penalties  according  to  the  na- 
ture of  offences,  and  gave  special  directions  con- 
cerning their  being  duly  inflicted.    This  is  not  only 
true  in  respect  to  the  laws  of  Israel,  but  it  is  like- 
wise true  in  respect  to  all  nations.     He  that  holds 
the  sword  is  the  minister  of  God.     Now  if  all  this, 
which  is  as  plain  as  any  thing  in  the  scriptures,  be 
granted,  what  room  is  there  for  the  supposition  that 
the  penalty  due  to  transgression  is  punishment  in 
the  future  eternal  world  ?  Or  what  reason  hare  we 
B 


10 

to  believe  that  Jesus  suffered  in  room  and  stead  of 
transgressors  ?  This  same  Jesus  Christ  of  whom  it 
is  believed,  that  he  suffered  the  penalty  of  our  sins 
in  our  room,  that  we  might  not  suffer  it,  plainly 
states,  that  he  will  "  reward  every  man  according 
to  his  works."  It  seems  to  be  evident,  from  the 
foregoing  considerations,  that  no  such  penalty  of 
endless  misery  was  ever  connected  witli  the  divine 
law  of  heaven  ;  and  equally  evident,  that  Jesus  did 
not  come  into  the  world  to  save  sinners  from  any 
su:h  penalty.  No,  nor  did  he  come  into  the  world 
to  save  the  sinner  from  the  punishment  of  his  sin-3. 

We  have  now  come  to  the  positive  of  our  ques- 
tion, and  we  will  proceed  to  show  from  the  scrip- 
tures, what  "  Jesus  Christ  came  into  the  world  to 
save  sinners"  from. 

First,  and  primarily,  he  came  to  save  sinners 
Horn  their  sins.  ]f  the  hearer  be  disposed  to  ask 
what  the  difference  is  between  saving  a  sinnerfrofn 
his  sins,  and  saving  him  from  the  punishment  which 
his  sins  deserve,  the  following  reply  will  show.  To 
save  a  criminal  from  the  punishment  which  the  law 
holds  against  him  would  be  a  violation  of  the  law, 
but  to  save  him  from  his  sin,  would  render  him 
righteous.  To  save  a  disobedient  child  from  the 
chastisement  due  for  his  offence,  would  violate  the 
wholesome  law  of  the  parent,  and  would  have  an 
unfavourable  effect  on  the  disobedient  when  refor- 
mation is  the  object  of  the  chastisement.  But  to 
gave  the  child  from  disobedience  is  the  very  thing 
the  parental  law  requires  and  is  all  the  salvation 
which  it  needs.  Thus,  as  has  been  before  noticed, 
the  Angel  said  to  Joseph;  "Thou  shalt  call  his 
name  Jesus,  for  he  shall  save  his  people  from  their 
sins." 

Secondly,  we  may  notice  some  particulars,  which, 
however,  are  all  comprehended  in  saving  the  sinner 
from  his  sins.  Jesus  Christ  came  into  the  world  to 
save  sinners  from  a  state  of  ignorance  which  they 
were  actually  in,  which  ignorance  was  and  ever  fa 
the  cause  of  sin. 


11 

Of  the  forerunner  of  Jesus  it  was  said  ;  «  And 
thou,  child,  shall  be  called  the  prophet  of  the  high- 
est :  for  thou  shalt  go  before  the  face  of  the  Lord 
to  prepare  his  ways ;  to  give  knowledge  of  salva- 
tion unto  his  people,  by  the  remission  of  their  sins, 
through  the  tender  mercy  of  our  God ;  whereby 
the  day-spring  from  on  high  hath  visited  us,  to  give 
light  to  them  that  sit  in  darkness,  and  in  the  shadow 
of  death,  to  guide  our  feet  into  the  way  of  peace." 
Jesus  said  to  the  Jews  ;  (t  If  ye  continue  in  my 
word,  then  are  ye  my  disciples  in  deed  ;  and  ye 
shall  know  the  truth  and  the  truth  shall  make  you 
free."  In  his  prayer  to  the  Father,  Jesus  says  ; 
"  This  is  life  eternal,  that  they  might  know  thee, 
the  only  true  God,  and  Jesus  Christ,  whom  thou 
hast  sent."  It  is  most  plainly  seen  by  the  light  of 
these  passages,  that  the  Saviour's  grace  was  design- 
ed to  deliver  sinners  from  mental  darkness,  and  to 
give  them  the  .true  knowledge  of  God's  divine  and 
grac  ous  character.  This  is  a  salvation  which  the 
ignorance  of  mankind  rendered  necessary.  St. 
Paul,  speaking  on  this  subject  to  the  Collossians 
says  ;  "  Who  hath  delivered  us  from  the  power  of 
darkness,  and  hath  translated  us  into  the  kingdom 
of  his  dear  Son."  Thte  power  of  darkness  is  the 
deception  to  which  ignorance  subjects  us,  from 
which  the  true  knowledge  of  divine  things  delivers 
the  mind.  God  says  by  the  prophet  Jeremiah ; 
"  And  they  shall  teach  no  more  every  man  his 
neighbor,  saying,  know  the  Lord  :  for  they  shall 
all  know  me,  from  the  least  of  them  to  the  greatest 
of  them,  saith  the  Lord  :  for  I  will  forgive  their  in- 
iquity, and  I  will ,  remember  the  sin,  no  more  !" 
The  words  of  St.  Peter  are  pertinent  to  this  sub- 
ject :  "  Grace  and  peace  be  multiplied  unto  you 
through  the  knowledge  of  God,  and  of  Jesus  our 
Lord."  And  we  may  add,  that  the  mission  of  the 
Apostles,  to  "  preach  the  gospel  to  every  crea- 
ture and  to  teach  all  nations,"  implies  the  necessi- 
ty ot  bringing  all  men  to  the  knowledge  of  the  truth 


te 

The  same  salvation  which  has  already  been  sig- 
nified by  a  salvation  from  sin  and  from  darknes* 
or  ignorance,  may  be  denominated  a  deliverance 
from  unreconciliation  to  God.  It  is  easily  seen, 
that  sin  and  unreconciliation  to  God  are  the  same. 
This  is  the  state  which  the  sinner  is  in,  and  from 
this  condition  the  gospel  is  designed  to  deliver  or 
save  him.  Accordingly  St.  Paul  says  ;  "  And  all 
things  are  of  God  who  hath  reconciled  us  to  himself 
l>y  Jesus  Christ,  and  hath  given  to  us  the  ministry 
oJf  reconciliation  ;  to  wit ;  that  God  was  in  Christ, 
reconciling  the  world  unto  himself,  not  imputing 
their  trespasses  unto  them ;  and  hath  committed 
unto  us  the  word  of  reconciliation.  Now  then,  we 
are  ambassadors  for  Christ,  as  though  God  did  be- 
seech you  by  us  ;  we  pray  you  in  Christ's  stead, 
l?e  ye  reconciled  to  God !  We  see  by  this  passage 
as  well  as  by  the  general  testimony  of  scripture,  that 
firod  did  not  impute  the  trespasses  of  sinners  to  them, 
in  any  way  to  prevent  the  manifestation  of  his 
grace  in  their  reconciliation  to  himself.  This  re- 
conciliation of  the  world  to  God  is  the  salvation  of 
the  world,  and  agrees  with  the  testimony  of  the  be- 
loved disciple  who  said,  "  We  have  seen  and  do 
testify,  that  the  Father  sent  the  son  to  be  the  Sa- 
viour of  the  world."  And  to  the  same  did  "  a 
bright  and  a  shining  light"  bear  record,  saying  ; 
"  Behold  the  Lamb  of  God  that  taketh  away  the 
sin  of  the  world." 

This  condition  of  sinners,  from  which  Christ 
Jesus  came  into  the  world  to  save  them,  is  repre- 
sented to  be  death.  Jesus  says  ;  "  The  dead  shall 
hear  the  voice  of  the  son  of  God,  and  they  that  hear 
shall  live."  St.  Paul  says  to  the  Ephesians  ;  "  And 
you  hath  he  quickened,  who  were  dead  in  trespasses 
and  sins."  Again  ;  "  But  God,  who  is  rich  in  mer- 
cy, for  his  great  love  wherewith  he  loved  us,  even 
when  we  were  dead  in  sins,  hath  quickened  ustoge^ 
tlier  with  Christ."  Was  there  ever  a  representa- 
tion mqre  erroneous,  than  that  which  has  for 


13 

led  men  to  believe  that  there  was  a  divine  wrath 
in  God,  from  which  Jesus  came  to  save  sinners  ? 
In  the  passage  just  recited  it  is  declared,  that  on 
account  of  the  great  love  which  God  had  to  sin- 
ners, who  were  dead  in  sin,  he  quickened  them  to* 
gether  with  Christ. 

Our  Redeemer  represents  the  salvation  of  sin- 
ners by  seeking  and  saving  something  lost,  "  The 
Son  of  man  came  to  seek  and  to  save  that  which 
was  lost."  Time  would  fail  us  to  mention  all  the 
ways  by  which  sacred  truth  has  represented  the  na- 
ture of  sinner's  salvation  by  Jesus  Christ. 

The  hearer  is  now  called  on  to  observe,  that  in 
all  the  representations  quoted  from  scripture,  there 
is  no  intimation  of  saving  sinners  from  any  punish- 
ment to  which  they  were  exposed,  nor  from  any 
-condition  that  they  were  not  already  in. 

Being  in  possession  of  what  the  foregoing  argu- 
ments seem  plainly  to  prove,  the  mind  of  the  hearer 
will  devote  its  attention  now  to  the  consideration 
of  the  question,  why  "  Christ  Jesus  came  into  the 
world  to  save  sinners  ?"  If  the  object  of  the  Saviour's 
mission  was  to  suffer  the  penalty  of  eternal  punish- 
ment, which  all  our  Doctors  agree  cannot  be  suf- 
fered in  this  world,  why  did  he  come  here  ?  Why 
should  he  come  -into  a  world  where  this  supposed 
penalty  never  was  designed  to  be  executed  ?  If 
Jesus  undertook  and  did  actually  suffer  the  pen- 
alty of  eternal  damnation  in  a  future  world,  in 
room  and^tead  of  sinners,  surely  there  was  no  need 
of  his  coming  into  this  mortal  state  to  do  it.  But 
he  "  came  into  the  world  to  save  sinners."  And  the 
reason  why  he  came  into  this  world  to  save  sinners, 
was  because  the  sinners  which  he  came  to  save  were 
in  this  world.  To  make  use  of  the  parable  of  the 
Saviour,  we  may  remark,  that  the  physician  goes 
to  the  place  where  the  sick  are,  that  he  may  ad-r 
minister  what  may  relieve  the  patient  from  sickness, 
The  goodly  Samaritan  went  to  the  place  where  the 
bruised  Jew  lay  naked  and  half  dead,  an4  there  he 


u 

poured  into  his  wounds  the  mollifying  oil  and  the 
life  restoring  wine.  The  shepherd  went  after  the 
lost  sheep  until  he  found  it,  and  from  the  place 
where  it  had  wandered  he  bore  it  on  his  shoulder 
to  the  fold,  rejoicing. 

The  common  doctrine,  which  teaches  us,  that 
Christ  Jesus  came  into  this  world  to  save  us  in  ano- 
ther world  is  contrary  to  all  the  representations 
which  are  found  in  the  scriptures.  If  in  a  future 
world  men  are  sick,  then  in  a  future  world  men 
will  need  a  physician ;  and  if  in  a  future  world 
men  are  lost,  then  in  a  future  world  they  will  need 
to  be  sought  and  found  ;  but  if  "  the  inhabitant 
shall  say  I  am  not  sick,"  no  physician  will  be  want- 
ed. If  sin  shall  exist  in  a  future  state  of  existence, 
no  doubt  pardoning  mercy  will  flow  as  freely  there 
as  it  does  here.  God  will  be  the  same,  Christ  will 
be  the  same,  and  love  divine  will  be  the  same.  But 
none  of  our  creeds  teach  us  that  man  will  sin  in  a 
future  world,  and  surely  if  they  do  not  they  will  not 
need  to  be  saved  from  sin,  for  they  will  have  none. 

We  are  not  informed  in  the  scriptures,  that 
Christ  Jesus  came  into  the  world  to  procure  for 
man  a  state  of  life  and  immortality  ;  but  we  are  in- 
formed, that  he  "  hath  brought  life  and  immortali- 
ty to  light  through  the  gospel.  This  divine  inheri- 
tance was  given  us  in  Christ  Jesus  before  the  world 
began,  but  was  "  made  manifest  by  the  appearing 
of  our  Lord  and  Saviour  Jesus  Christ,  who  hath 
abolished  death," 

The  attentive  hearer  is  in  the  next  place  invited 
to  spend  a  few  reflections  on  the  fullness  of  Christ 
Jesus  to  accomplish  the  work  of  saving  sinners. 
Remember,  "  The  Father  sent  the  Son  to  be  the 
Saviour  of  the  world."  Permit  your  humble  ser- 
vant to  ask  you,  if  you  had  any  important  con- 
cerns in  a  foreign  country,  which  required  the  at- 
tention of  one  deeply  skilled  in  such  matters,  would 
you  not  send  one  on  whom  you  could  depend  ? 
And  would  you  not  furnish  him  with  all  the  neces* 


15 

sary  powers,  to  settle  your  concerns  In  a  just  and 
equitable  manner  ?  You  answer  in  the  affirmative. 

Then  it  seems,  that  your  Christian  candor  must 
lead  you  to  allow,  that  ample  power  is  given  to  Christ 
Jesus  to  save  the  chief  of  sinners.  If  God  himself, 
who  is  acknowledged  to  be  omnipotent,  had  power 
sufficient  for  this  gracious  work,  he  surely  would  not 
send  his  Son  with  too  little.  "  All  power  in  heaven 
and  in  earth  is  therefore  committed  to  the  Son." 
"  In  him  dwells  the  fullness  of  the  Godhead  bodily ," 
Jesus  "  made  unto  us,  wisdom,  righteousness,  sane- 
tification  and  redemption."  Are  sinners  ignorant 
of  God  ?  Jesus  came  with  the  true  knowledge  of 
the  Father,  whom  to  know  is  life  eternal.  Are 
sinners  sick  with  spiritual  leprosy  ?  Jesus  is  that 
phisician  whose  very  word  can  heal.  Are  sinners 
lost  and  bewildered  in  the  wilderness  of  sin  ?  Jesus 
is  "  the  way,  the  truth  and  the  life  !"  Are  sinners 
dead  in  trespasses  and  sins,  the  life  giving  power 
of  the  gospel  quickens  them  together  with  Christ. 
Here  is  a  fountain  opened  for  the  cleansing  of 
the  unclean,  here  flow  medical  springs,  teaming 
with  health  for  all  who  are  sick.  Here  grows  the 
tree  of  life,  whose  fruit  is  for  food,  and  whose 
leaves  are  for  the  healing  of  the  nations.  In  a  word, 
there  is  no  infirmity  in  the  sinner  for  which  there  is 
not  a  cure  in  Christ  Jesus.  '  . 

To  conclude  ;  My  Christian  friends,  is  not  our 
duty,  as  disciples  of  Jesus,  made  plain  by  the  doc- 
trine of  our  text?  "It  is  enough  for  the  disciple  to 
be  as  hie  master."  The  blessed  Redeemer  labored 
incessantly  in  the  great  work  of  saving  sinners 
from  their  sins.  He  exercised  his  miraculous  pow- 
ers to  convince  men  of  the  divinity  of  his  mission, 
he  taught  the  people  the  unchangeable  love  of  God 
to  sinners,  he  loved  sinners  himself,  and  his  very 
breath  seemed  to  be  forgiveness.  We  are  called 
on  to  exercise  all  our  abilities  in  this  blessed  cause 
of  salvation.  That  we  may  do  this  to  the  utmost. 


we  must  strive  to  increase  in  the  knowledge,  and 
grow  in  the  grace  of  divine  truth,  that  we  may  be 
enabled  to  communicate  it  to  others.     Jesus  said 
to  his  disciples  ;  "  Let  your  light  so  shine  before, 
men,  that  they  beholding  your  good  works,  may 
glorify  your  Father  who  is  in  heaven."      If  the 
vain  imagination  were  true,  that  the  work  of  saving 
sinners  was  accomplished  by  Jesus*  suffering  some 
penalty  of  the   divine  law,  of  which  we  have  no 
account  in  the  oracles  of  truth,  of  course  further 
labour  would  not  be  needed.    But  if  the  salvation 
of  sinners,  consists  in  delivering  them  from  their  ig- 
norance of  God,  from  the  power  of  darkness,  from 
the  death  of  sin,  and  from  alienation  to  a  blessed  re- 
conciliation to  God,  then  all  that  we  can  do,  by  the 
help  of  Grace,  to  enlighten  our  fellow  men,  to  re-t 
commend  the  character  of  God  to  sinners,  to  magni- 
fy the  beauties  and  exccellencies  of  a  life  of  piety 
and  virtue  is  of  service  in  the  cause  of  Christ.     But 
let  us  remember,  first  of  all,  that  example  is  more 
than  precept ;  and  that  this  "  Grace  of  God,  which 
bringeth    salvation   to    all    men,   hath  appeared; 
teaching  us,  that,  denying  ungodliness  and  worldly 
Justs,  we  should  live  soberly,  righteously,  and  god- 
ly, in  this  present  world  ;  looking  for  that  blessed 
hope,  and  the  glorious  appearing  of  the  great  God 
and  our  Saviour  Jesus  Christ ;  who  gave  himself 
for  us,  that  he  might  redeem  us  from  all  iniquity, 
and  purify  unto  himself  a  peculiar  people,  zealou* 
of  good  works." 


No.  2. 

LECTURE  SERMON, 

DELIVERED  AT  THE 

SECOND  UNIVERSALIST  MEETING,  IN  BOSTON. 
AUGUST   16,   1818. 


BY  HOSEA  BALLOU,  PASTOR. 


Published  Semi-Monthly,  by  Henry  Bowen,  Devonshire-street. 

MATTHEW,  v.  48. 

"  Be  ye,  therefore,  perfect,  even  as  your  Father  which  is  in  heaven  is 

perfect." 

EVERY  scheme,  whether  human  or  divine,  must, 
in  order  to  be  rationally  planned,  have  some  prin- 
ciple as  its  foundation.  This  foundation  must,  in 
all  respects,  be  sufficiently  extensive  and  firm  to 
support  the  superstructure  to  be  raised  on  it. 

The  gospel  or  doctrine  of  Jesus  Christ,  being  a 
scheme  planned  by  infinite  wisdom,  is  established  on 
a  principle  which  is  in  all  respects,  both  in  regard 
to  its  extent  and  stability,  amply  sufficient  to  sup- 
port the  divinely  glorious  edifice  designed  to  rest 
upon  it.  These  remarks  are  evidently  analogous 
to  the  subject  of  our  text,  and  correspond  with  the 
manner  in  which  it  was  presented  to  those  who 
listened  to  the  gracious  words  of  the  divine  teach- 
er. In  his  sermon  on  the  mount,  Jesus  noticed  ma- 
ny particulars,  which  had  formerly  been  taught  to 
the  people  and  religiously  believed  by  them,  which 
were  not  consistent  with  the  heavenly  wisdom  and 
grace  of  the  gospel.  He  therefore,  endeavored  to 
present  to  the  people  the  distinction  between  those 


18 

traditions  which  had  long  been  established,  and  that 
which  was  harmonious  with  that  special  "  grace  and 
truth,"  which  came  by  him. 

The  particular  subject  under  consideration  is  in- 
troduced as  follows  ;  "  Ye  have  heard  that  it  hath 
been  said,  Thou  shalt  love  thy  neighbor,  and  hate 
thine  enemy  ;  But  I  say  unto  you,  love  your  ene- 
mies, bless  them  that  curse  you,  do  good  to  them 
that  hate  you,  and  pray  for  them  which  dispiteful- 
ly  use  you,  and  persecute  you  ;  that  ye  may  he  the 
children  of  your  Father  which  is  in  heaven ;  for  he 
maketh  his  sun  to  rise  on  the  evil  and  on  the  good 
and  sendeth  rain  on  the  just  and  unjust."  What 
the  doctrine  of  Jesus  requires  of  his  disciples  is 
here  plainly  laid  down ;  and  the  reason  why  love 
and  good  offices  to  enemies  were  enjoined  is  shown 
in  the  manifest  goodness  of  God  to  the  evil  and 
good,  to  the  just  and  to  the  unjust.  The  divine 
teacher  then  proceeds  to  illustrate  the  propriety 
and  fitness  of  his  doctrine  as  follows  ;  "  For  if  ye 
love  them  that  love  you,  what  reward  have  ye  ? 
do  riot  even  the  publicans  the  same  ?  And  if  ye  sa- 
lute your  brethren  only,  what  do  ye  more  than 
others  ?  do  not  even  the  publicans  so  ?" 

Having  thus  evidently  shown,  that  corning  short 
of  that  love  and  goodness  to  enemies  which  his 
doctrine  requires,  was  to  stand  on  the  same  ground 
and  to  act  on  the  same  principle  which  characterise 
the  most  illiberal  and  irreligious  worlding,  he  en- 
joins as  expressed  in  our  text ;  "  Be  ye,  therefore, 
perfect,  even  as  your  Father  which  is  in  heaven  is 
perfect." — Our  text,  thus  introduced,  seems  to  in- 
vite the  attention  of  the  hearer  to  the  considera- 
tion of  the  following  proposition,  as  a  distinct  sub- 
ject for  investigation  ;  (viz.)  The  gospel  of  Jesus 
Christ  is  a  dispensation  of  grace  which  naturally 
and  necessarily  flows  from  the  nature  of  God,  and 
obtains  its  peculiar  character  from  the  love  of 
God  to  sinners. 


19 

What  we  mean  when  we  say,  the  gospel  of  Jesus 
Christ  flows  naturally  from  God  is,  that  all  the 
causes  which  produce  it,  or  cause  it  to  flow  forth  to 
man,  are  in  the  nature  of  the  divine  Being.  He  is 
self-moved  in  all  he  does,  and  of  course  he  is  self- 
moved  in  the  dispensation  of  his  grace.  Even  the 
Mediator  himself,  who  is  stiled  "  the  Captain  of 
our  salvation,"  had  no  occasion  to  influence  the 
Father  of  our  spirits  to  be  merciful  to  sinners,  for 
it  is  the  unchangeable  nature  of  God  to  be  gracious. 
The  divine  Being  is  wrongly  represented,  when 
it  is  said,  as  it  often  has  been,  that  Christ  has,  by  his 
life,  death  and  resurrection  opened  a  way  for  God 
to  be  merciful  to  sinners ;  because  this  evidently 
supposes,  that  he  was  not  merciful  to  sinners  before 
this  door  was  opened. 

The  testimony  of  Jesus  evidently  corrects  this 
error,  and  abolishes  at  once  all  vain  imagina- 
tions which  have  been  built  upon  it.  Hear  his 
words ;  "  For  God  so  loved  the  world,  that  he  gave 
his  only  begotten  Son,  that  whosoever  believeth  in 
him  should  not  perish,  but  have  everlasting  life.'* 
It  is  surely  a  very  great  error  to  suppose  that  the 
gift  which  the  Father's  love  bestowed  influenced 
him  to  bestow  it.  Such  a  mistake,  we  may  pre- 
sume, never  was  made  on  any  other  subject  or  in 
any  other  case.  Were  the  unhappy  children  of 
wealthy  parents,  whose  prodigality  had  reduced 
them  to  wretchedness  and  want,  to  receive  from 
them  a  gift  of  immense  value,  would  they  be  like- 
ly to  conclude,  that  the  worth  of  this  invaluable 
treasure  was  the  cause  of  their  parent's  love  and 
pity  ?  No  ;  but  however  highly  they  might  justly 
prize  the  favor  sent,  they  would  consider  it  as  the 
evidence,  not  the  cause  of  parental  affection.  This 
is  evidently  the  sense  of  the  Apostle  who  says  ; 
"  But  God  commendeth  his  love  toward  us,  in  that, 
while  we  were  vet  sinners  Christ  died  for  us." 


Here  notice,  ihe  death  of  Christ  was  not  the  cause, 
but  the  commendation  of  the  love  of  God  toward 
us,  while  we  were  yet  sinners.  Again  ;  "  Herein  is 
love,  not  that  we  loved  God,  but  that  he  loved  us, 
and  sent  his  Son  to  be  the  propitiation  for  our 
sins."  This  propitiation  for  our  sins,  so  far  from 
opening  a  door  for  God  to  be  gracious,  was  an  ef- 
fect and  a  manifestation  of  the  divine  favor. 

These  arguments  are  designed  to  illustrate  the 
proposition,  that  the  grace  of  the  gospel  flows 
naturally  from  God  to  his  enemies. 

It  is  believed  that  no  subject  in  divinity  is  of 
greater  moment  than  the  one  under  consideration. 
For  if  it  be  not  the  nature  of  God  to  be  gracious, 
and  to  love  his  creatures,  and  to  do  them  good, 
even  though  they  are  enemies  to  him  by  wicked 
works ;  but  if  he  require  vindictive  retaliation  on 
his  enemies  ;  and  cannot,  consitently  with  his  true 
character,  show  any  favor  to  transgressors,  without 
being  first  reconciled  and  influenced  so  to  do,  it 
is  to  that  which  produces  this  reconciliation  and 
effects  this  influence,  that  we  are  to  look  for  mer- 
cy, and  not  to  God.  Moreover  this  doctrine,  could 
it  be  maintained,  would  overthrow  the  doctrine  of 
our  text.  "  Be  ye,  therefore,  perfect,  even  as 
your  Father  which  is  in  heaven  is  perfect,"  by  lov- 
ing your  enemies,  by  blessing  them  that  curse  you, 
by  doing  good  to  them  that  hate  you,  and  by  pray- 
ing for  them  that  despitefuily  use  you  and  perse- 
cute you.  If  it  be  allowed,  that  our  Father  in 
heaven  so  imputed  men's  trespasses  to  them  as  to 
render  it  impossible  for  him  to  extend  mercy  to 
any  until  his  vindictive  wrath  was  appeased,  then 
may  we  reply  to  the  requirements  of  the  Saviour 
in  our  text,  and  say  ;  First  let  us  have  satisfactory 
vengeance  on  our  enemies,  then  we  will  love  them 
and  do  them  good.  Suppose  our  Redeemer  had 
taught  the  people,  as  our  professed  Christians  be- 


21 

lieve,  that  he  had  undertaken  to  appease  his  Fa- 
ther's wrath  towards  man,  by  suffering  the  penal 
tortures  which  vindictive  justice  had  laid  on  the 
sinner  ;  and  that  by  this  mean  he  should  procure 
the  favour  of  God  for  them,  would  he  not  thereby 
have  furnished  them  with  a  reply  to  his  injunctions 
expressed  in  our  text  and  context  ?  Might  they  not 
have  said ;  When  we  can  obtain  as  ample  vengeance 
on  our  enemies,  as  you  have  to  suffer  in  order  to 
render  it  proper  for  God  to  love  his  enemies,  then 
we  will  love  ours  ?  But  no  such  doctrine  can  be 
found  in  the  recorded  testimony  of  Jesus.  What- 
ever the  blessed  Redeemer  is  to  us,  he  is  made  such 
by  the  Father  of  our  spirits.  Speaking  to  the 
Corinthians  of  Christ  Jesus,  the  Apostle  says ; 
"  Who  of  God  is  made  unto  us  wisdom,  righteous- 
ness, sanctification,  and  redemption."  To  the 
same  church,  speaking  of  the  ministry  of  reconcil- 
iation, the  same  author  says  ;  "  God  was  in  Christ, 
reconciling  the  world  unto  himself,  not  imputing 
their  trespasses  unto  them."  But  the  error  which 
we  disprove,  supposes  that  God  did  impute  our 
trespasses  to  us,  and  that  Christ  reconciled  him. 

There  is  a  passage  the  common  use  of  which  is 
against  our  present  argument,  which  we  will  here 
notice.  "  We  have  an  advocate  with  the  Father." 
The  common  opinion  supposes  Jesus  Christ  acts 
the  part  of  an  advocate,  by  pleading  our  cause  be- 
fore God,  to  incline  him  to  show  mercy.  This  is 
totally  erroneous.  The  advocacy  of  Jesus  is  ex- 
pressed thus  ;  "  Now  then,  we  are  ambassadors  for 
Christ,  as  though  God  did  beseech  you  by  us  ;  we 
pray  you  in  Christ's  stead  be  ye  reconciled  to 
God."  Thus  we  have  an  advocate  with  the  Father 
who  pleads  with  us  to  be  reconciled  to  God  ;  not 
with  God  to  be  reconciled  to  us,  for  "  God  was  in 
Christ  reconciling  the  world  unto  himself,  not  im- 
puting unto  them  their  trespasses." 


22 

That  the  character  which  we  attribute,  by  these 
arguments,  to  the  divine  Being,  is  really  what  is 
due  to  him,  may  be  made  to  appear  by  refering  to 
his  providence.  This  we  are  specially  authorised 
to  do,  by  the  example  which  the  Saviour  has  fur- 
nished in  our  context,  and  which  was  evidently  de- 
signed by  hi  HI  to  inculcate  what  these  arguments 
are  designed  to  prove.  He  directed  the  attention  of 
the  people  to  two  sensible  objects,  which  the  di- 
vine providence  continually  holds  out  to  our  view ; 
the  sun  and  the  rain.  "  For  he  maketh  his  sun  to 
rise  on  the  evil  and  the  good,  and  sendeth  rain  on 
the  just  and  on  the  unjust."  By  these  ocular  proofs 
the  divine  teacher  inculcated  the  impartial  love  and 
goodness  of  our  Father  in  heaven  toward  all  men 
of  every  description  of  character. 

It  may  be  necessary  to  notice,  in  this  place,  what 
an  objector  might  be  disposed  to  urge  against  this 
impartial  goodness  of  the  divine  Being  toward  the 
evil  and  the  good,  the  just  and  the  unjust. 

Objection  ;  If  God  be  equally  as  good  to  the  evil 
as  he  is  to  the  good,  to  the  unjust  as  to  the  just  ; 
and  if  he  love  his  enemies  as  well  as  he  does  his 
friends,  then  there  is  no  difference  between  the  re- 
ward of  righteousness  and  unrighteousness.  To 
this  objection  the  candid  hearer  will  accept  the 
following  reply. — Keeping  in  view  the  character 
of  God,  as  set  forth  in  the  passage  under  considera- 
tion, as  our  Father  in  heaven,  we  say  that  a  father 
may  love  his  obedient  and  disobedient  children 
impartially,  and  yet,  in  relation  to  their  conduct, 
may  treat  them  as  differently  as  they  conduct  one 
from  another.  But  however  different  the  treat- 
ment may  be,  it  must,  in  every  case,  proceed  from 
the  same  principle  of  impartial  love  in  the  parent. 
To  illustrate  this  we  may  observe,  that  the  parent 
who  is  visited  with  sickness  among  his  children  will 
naturally  love  those  who  are  sick  as  well  as  he  does 


23 

those  who  are  in  health  ;  and  yet,  from  this  equal 
undimished  love,  he  will  treat  them  as  differently 
as  will  exactly  correspond  with  their  different  de- 
grees of  health.  Now,  you  who  are  parents  are 
called  on  to  determine  whether  it  be  right,  and  con- 
sistent with  your  character  as  parents,  to  love  your 
children  and  to  do  good  to  them  when  they  are 
disobedient  ?  If  you  decide  in  the  affirmative,  as 
you  most  surely  will,  then  you  justify  the  argu- 
ment, against  which  the  objection  we  have  noticed 
was  stated. 

If  the  objector  should  be  disposed  to  contend, 
that  we  extend  our  argument  too  far  by  endeavor- 
ing to  prove  that  the  sinner  is  equally  the  object 
of  divine  love  as  the  righteous,  we  rejoin  by  re- 
fering  the  objector  to  the  full  extent  of  the  evi- 
dence already  adduced,  and  to  the  consideration  of 
the  following  remarks. 

First ;  If  we  carefully  examine  the  conduct  of 
the  divine  Being  toward  Adam  before  and  after 
transgression,  shall  we  find  any  thing  to  justify  the 
belief,  that  Adam  was  not  equally  the  object  of 
divine  favor  after  he  sinned  as  he  was  before  ? 
Whose  voice  did  guilty  Adam  hear  in  the  cool  of 
the  day,  expressive  of  parental  solicitude,  crying 
Adam,  Adam,  where  art  thou  ?  It  was  the  voice 
of  the  Lord  God.  In  that  memorable  hour  of  retri- 
bution was  there  the  least  sign  that  God's  love  to- 
wards his  offspring  had  suffered  any  diminution  ? 
Does  not  the  promise,  that  the  seed  of  the  woman, 
should  bruise  the  serpent's  head,  bear  date  from 
this  eventful  period  ?  Surely  this  was  a  time  of  love. 

Secondly  ;  Was  it  when  the  world  was  righteous, 
or  when  it  was  "  in  wickedness"  that  God  so  lov- 
ed it,  as  to  "  give  his  only  begotten  Son,  that  who- 
soever believeth  on  him  might  not  perish,  but  have 
everlasting  life  ?"  Was  Saul  less  the  object  of  the 
divine  favor  before-  his  conversion  than  afterward  ? 


24 

Were  we  less  beloved  by  him,  "  who  loved  us  and 
washed  us  from  our  sins  in  his  own  blood,  before 
he  washed  us,  than  afterward  ?  The  hearer  will  ea- 
sily perceive  that  these  queries  all  tend  to  show, 
that  no  change  in  man  can  effect  any  change  in 
God.— And 

Thirdly  ;  The  acknowledged  unchangeabili- 
ty  of  the  divine  Being  furnishes  sufficient  proof, 
that  his  love  to  his  creatures  can  never  increase 
nor  decrease.  Entertaining  a  hope,  that  what  has 
been  offered,  designed  to  explain  our  meaning  re- 
specting the  dispensation  of  divine  grace  flowing 
naturally  from  God,  may  be  acceptable  to  the  can- 
did hearer,  we  will  say  a  little  on  what  we  mean  by 
saying,  that  this  dispensation  of  grace  flows  neces- 
sarily from  the  nature  of  God ;  and  offer  some  ar- 
gument in  its  support.  , 

What  we  mean  by  this  part  of  our  general  pro- 
position is,  that  if  we  take  a  careful  view  of  the  na- 
ture of  the  divine  atributes,  as  they  are  revealed 
in  creation,  providence,  and  grace,  even  as  short 
sighted  as  we  are,  we  become  convinced  that  all  the 
ways  of  God,  all  his  works,  all  his  mercies,  and  all 
his  judgments  are  unalterably  established  in  truth 
and  rightousness  which  never  vary.  It  is  not  con- 
sistent with  the  atributes  of  God,  to  suppose,  that 
be  can  design  to  do  any  thing,  and  afteward  alter 
his  determination.  Nor  is  it  any  more  consistant 
with  the  divine  atributes  to  suppose  that  any 
of  the  designs  of  God,  which  in  different  ages  of 
the  world  have  been  revealed  to  man,  were  less  an- 
cient than  the  design  of  creation ;  which  carries  us 
as  far  back  as  is  of  use  to  our  researches.  When 
the  Almighty  was  pleased  to  reveal  himself  to 
Abraham,  and  call  him  from  his  people,  and  pro- 
mise him  the  land  of  Canaan,  and  to  multiply 
him,  and  to  bless  him,  and  to  bless  all  the  families 
of  the  earth  in  his  seed,  however  new  and  unexpect- 


ed  this  might  be  to  this  "  friend  of  God,"  it  could  be 
no  new  thing  with  the  God  of  Abraham.  And  so 
we  may  say  of  any  other  particular  manifestation 
of  the  wisdom  of  God.  "  Known  unto  God  are  all 
his  works  from  the  foundation  of  the  world,"  and 
he  declares  "  the  end  from  the  beginning."  It  is 
furthermore  said,  that  he  "  cannot  lie  ;"  and  that 
ts  he  cannot  deny  himself." 

Having  presented  the  hearer,  in  our  imperfect 
manner,  with  this  short  account  of  the  foundation 
of  the  doctrine  of  Jesus,  the  attention  of  the  audi- 
ence may,  for  a  few  moments,  be  devoted  to  the 
consideration  of  the  following  inferences,  drawn 
from  premises  already  proved. 

1.  As  we  have  seen,  that  the  grace  by  which  man 
obtains  salvation  and  eternal  life,  flows  naturally 
a*nd  necessarily  from  the  nature  of  God,and  is  known 
by  its  peculiar  characteristic  of  love  to  sinners,  we 
infer  that  this  salvation  will  eventually  be  as  ex- 
tensive as  the  love  of  God,  from  which  it  proceeds. 
If  the  love  of  the  divine  Being  insures  salvation  to 
any  of  the  sinful  race  of  Adam,  it  equally  favors 
the  salvation  of  all  men,  as  all  are  equally  the  ob- 
jects of  divine  love.  This  inference  relies  on  the 
fact,  that  the  same  cause  will  always  produce  the 
same  effects.  A  parent  has  a  number  of  children 
all  needy  and  dependent  on  him,  he  loves  them  all 
equally,  it  is  granted  that  this  love  will  certainly 
favor  and  support  some  of  these  dependent  off- 
spring; the  conclusion  is,  that  it  will  grant  the  same 
favor  and  support  to  the  whole.  Should  the  speaker, 
this  evening,  inform  you,  that  there  is  a  parent  of 
great  respectability  in  this  town,  who  has  a  numer- 
ous family  of  sons  and  daughters,  that  he  is  vastly 
rich,  has  all  at  his  command  that  heart  can  wish, 
that  he  most  tenderly  and  affectionately  loves  his 
children,  and  loves  them  impartially,  that  this  par- 
ent has  favoured  your  servant  with  a  knowledge  of 
4 


26 

his  domestic  economy  and  government,  that  lie  of- 
ten invites  him  to  partake  of  his  bountiful  board, 
and  of  the  refreshments  which  his  generous  favor 
constantly  provides,  would  you  not  reply  that  all 
this  is  very  probable,  and  that  you  know  of  many 
such  families  in  the  circle  of  your  acquaintance  ? 
But  should  the  account  proceed  and  state,  that  of 
this  numerous  family  of  children  only  a  fourth  part 
were  ever  indulged  with  the  society  of  their  par- 
ent, that  the  other  three  fourths  were  the  most 
wretched  beings  ever  seen,  that  they  were  as  near- 
ly starved  the  whole  of  the  time  as  they  could  be 
and  live,  that  they  were  excluded  the  society  of  the 
favorites,  and  that  their  extreme  misery  was  for  the 
honor  and  glory  of  the  merciful  parent,  and  to  en- 
hance the  unalloyed  happiness  of  the  others,  could 
you  freely  give  your  candid  assent  to  the  proba- 
bility, the  consistency  and  propriety  of  this  ac- 
count? Would  you  not  say,  that  if  one  part  of  the 
story  be  true,  the  other  must  be  false  ?  You  cer- 
tainly would  contend,  that  if  the  parent  were  im- 
partial in  his  love  to  his  children,  he  never  would 
make  the  distinction  reported  ;  you  would  revolt 
with  horror  at  the  declaration,  that  the  extreme 
misery  of  the  greatest  part  of  the  family  was  neces- 
sary for  the  honor  of  the  parent,  and  to  enhance  the 
felicity  of  the  happy  few.  Such  doctrine  as  this, 
you  would  say,  is  totally  without  foundation,  is  a 
superstructure  having  nothing  for  its  support,  and 
is  proof  positive  that  the  mind  of  the  reporter  i« 
deranged  or  corrupted.  Why  then  will  you  con- 
tradict your  own  candid  reasoning,  and  contend 
that  our  Father  in  heaven  loves  his  offspring  im- 
partially, even  his  enemies,  that  his  divine  fullness 
is  infinitely  extensive,  but  that  by  some  special 
grace  which  has  been  made  known  to  you,  you  are 
authorised  to  believe  and  say,  that  but  a  small  part 
of  the  human  family  will  ever  be  made  partakers. 


27 

©f  the  rich  bounties  of  salvation  in  Christ,  and  that 
far  the  most  numerous  part  of  Adam's  posterity- 
are  doomed  to  unspeakable  tortures  eternally  for 
the  glory  of  God  and  to  promote  the  happiness  of 
a  few  ?  It  is  charitably  believed  that  your  candor 
will  lead  to  an  impartial  decision  of  this  momentous 
subject,  and  will  incline  you  to  admit  what  is  so 
fully  and  clearly  proved  by  the  unerring  testimo- 
ny of  truth. 

2.  We  infer  from  our  general  subject,  that  the 
common  doctrine  which  teaches  that  our  Father 
who  is  in  heaven,  loves  those  who  love  him,  but  has 
treasured  up  everlasting  vengeance  against  his  ene- 
mies, is  subversive  of  the  gospel  and  religion  of 
Jesus,  which  he  preached  on  the  glorious  founda- 
tion of  the  divine  love  to  sinners  ;  and  equally  sub- 
versive of  our  duty  as  disciples  of  Christ.  The 
common  doctrine,  against  which  this  inference  is 
drawn,  seems  to  adhere  to  the  old  tradition,  "Thou 
shalt  love  thy  neighbor  and  hate  thine  enemy," 
against  which  our  Saviour  labored  in  the  place 
where  our  text  is  found.  "  If  ye  love  them  that 
love  you,  what  reward  have  ye  ?  do  not  even  the 
publicans  the  same  ?  And  if  ye  salute  your  brethren 
only,  what  do  ye  more  than  others  ?  do  not  even 
the  publicans  so  ?"  Those  who  pay  no  attention  to 
religion,  whose  thoughts  are  wholly  engrossed  by 
the  things  of  a  temporal  concern,  who  lay  up  their 
treasures  upon  the  earth,  love  those  who  love  them, 
do  good  to  those  who  do  good  to  them,  and  cour- 
teously salute  their  brethren.  Now  if  God  love 
none  but  such  as  love  him,  if  he  be  kind  to  none 
but  such  as  are  friendly  to  him,  what  does  he  more 
than  publicans  ?  What  reward  hath  he  ?  Most 
surely  Jesus  never  would  have  inculcated  the  duty 
of  loving  our  enemies  on  the  principle  that  God 
hated  hi?.  But  he  seemed  to  come  directly  to  the 
understanding  of  the  people  through  the  medium 


28 

of  the  rising  sun  and  falling  rain,  and  presented 
them  with  the  real  character  of  our  heavenly  Fa- 
ther as  a  perfect  pattern  for  our  imitation.  Sup- 
pose some  of  the  disciples  of  Jesus,  on  this  oc- 
casion,had  asked  him  whether  he  meant  to  be  under- 
stood, that  our  Father  in  heaven  did  really  love  the 
evil  and  the  good,  the  just  and  the  unjust,  as  im- 
partially as  he  granted  them  the  light  of  the  sun 
and  the  rain  from  heaven  ?  What  answer  may  we 
believe  the  divine  teacher  would  have  returned  ? 
Would  he  have  said,  I  solemnly  charge  you  not  to 
be  deceived  by  these  temporal  things  ?  You  see  that 
the  sun  makes  no  distinction  in  bestowing  its  influ- 
ence on  the  nations  of  the  earth,  it  bounds  not  its 
blessings  by  any  distinctions  in  the  characters  of 
men,  it  is  prodigal  of  its  innumerable  blessings  on 
Ihe  evil  and  on  the  good  ;  so  is  the  rain  likewise 
ns  entirely  impartial ;  it  sheds  its  generous  favors 
on  all  without  partiality  ;  but  you  are  not  to  sup- 
pose that  these  are  true  indications  of  the  real 
mind  and  disposition  of  your  heavenly  Father.  In 
temporal  things  God  is  "good  unto  all,  and  his 
tender  mercies  are  over  all  his  works  ;"  but  in  re- 
spect to  the  spiritual  and  eternal  concerns  of  men 
he  has  made  an  infinite  difference.  Those  who 
love  him  and  keep  his  commandments,  he  really 
loves  ;  but  his  enemies  are  the  objects  of  his  burn- 
ing wrath,  and  on  them  will  his  vengeance  be  pour- 
ed forth  forever.  In  reply  to  such  an  answer, 
might  not  the  questions  which  Jesus  asked  be  re- 
turned ?  If  ye  love  them  that  love  you  what  re- 
ward have  ye  ?  do  not  even  the  publicans  the  same? 
But  the  divine  teacher  would  not  have  been  so  ab- 
surdly inconsistent  with  himself ;  he  would  have 
answered  the  supposed  question  in  the  affirmative. 
We  have  full  liberty  to  believe  this  and  ample  au^ 
Ihority  to  support  it.  The  contrary  is  the  very 
ftiing  that  he  was  dissuading  the  people  from  ;  but 


29 

(lie  affirmative  of  the  supposed  question  is  what 
he  endeavored  to  impress  on  their  minds.. 

This  inference  will  be  found  to  be  greatly  strength- 
ened by  a  careful  application  of  our  text  to  the  sub- 
ject, "Be  ye,  therefore,  perfect,  even  as  your  Father 
which  is 'in  heaven  is  perfect."  We  are  here  re- 
quired to  have  the  same  quality  of  perfection  as 
our  Father  in  heaven  has.  If  his  perfection  is  qual- 
ified with  hatred  and  unmerciful  wrath  towards 
his  enemies,  then  our  perfection  must  be  qualified 
by  the  same  temper  and  disposition  towards  our 
enemies.  But  if  the  perfection  of  our  heavenly 
Father  is  rendered  gloriously  bright  by  a  constant 
display  of  unchangeable  love  and  mercy  towards 
his  enemies,  then  it  is  plainly  our  duty  to  strive  to 
the  utmost  to  qualify  our  Christian  profession  and 
discipleship  of  Jesus,  with  this  blessed  temper  and 
good  will  to  those  who  are  our  enemies.  Jesus 
said  to  his  disciples,  "  The  disciple  is  not  above 
his  master,  nor  the  servant  above  his  Lord.  It  is 
enough  for  the  disciple  to  be  as  his  master,  and  the 
servant  as  his  Lord."  Those,  therefore,  who  pro- 
fess to  love  all  mankind,  who  pray  for  all  men. 
who  say  they  fervently  desire  the  everlasting  hap- 
piness of  the  whole  human  race,  and  yet  contend 
that  their  divine  Lord  and  Master  loves  but  a  few, 
and  has  determined  the  everlasting  destruction  o< 
all  the  rest,  are  guilty  of  supererogation.  So  far 
from  being  contented  to  stop  at  the  bounds  by 
which  they  limit  the  holy  one,  they  profess  to 
love  those  who  are  held  by  their  creed  to  be  the 
objects  of  the  divine  indignation.  But  here  let  us 

pause ; Are  these  pretentious   all   real  ?  Oast 

aside  all  prejudice,  and  examine  and  answer  the 
following  question  :  Have  professors  generally,  who 
have  maintained  limited  views  of  the  grace  of  God, 
and  yet  pretended  to  love  all  men  themselves,  ac- 
companied those  pretensions  with  that  spirit  an.rl 


30 

temper  of  love  and  compassion  toward  those  who 
have  differed  from  them  in  opinion,  which  seem 
necessary  to  prove  the  sincerity  of  their  profes- 
sions ?  If  this  should  be  allowed,  how  can  we  ac- 
count for  all  the  persecutions  which  have  charac- 
terised the  Christian  churches  for  ages  ?  How  shall 
we  account  for  that  mutual  bitterness,  coldness 
and  deeply  rooted  prejudice  visible  among  differ- 
ent denominations,  and  by  which  they  have  so 
much  disturbed  the  peace  of  society  and  of  the 
world  ?  There  is  nothing  of  importance  ever  main- 
tained in  the  religious  creeds  of  men,  that  does  not 
either  tend  to  make  them  better,  or  worse  ;  and 
that  character  which  we  attribute  to  the  divine 
Being,  will  more  or  less  mingle  itself  in  our  own 
characters.  Hence  we  account  for  the  endeavors 
of  the  Saviour  to  present  our  Father  in  heaven,  in 
a  character  which  he  would  have  his  disciples  ac- 
quire for  themselves.  He  knew  if  men  entertain 
an  opinion  that  the  divine  Being  loves  those  who 
love  him  and  hates  those  who  hate  him,  they 
would  be  likely  to  imitate  what  they  attribute  to 
God.  He  very  well  knew  that  this  was  the  case 
with  the  people  of  his  day,  he  knew  it  had  been  the 
case  in  past  ages,  and  he  knew  that  like  causes 
would  produce  like  effects  ;  and  therefore  as  long 
as  men  should  religiously  believe  that  God  loves 
some  and  hates  others,  he  knew  that  bitterness  and 
strife  would  continue.  From  this  thick  cloud  of 
darkness,  from  this  deadly  error  the  doctrine  of 
divine  love  to  the  enemies  of  God,  is  the  only  de- 
liverance. Tt  makes  riot  the  least  difference  whe- 
ther we  profess  to  be  Christians,  Jews,  Pagans  or 
Mahometans,  }f  we  believe  that  God  is  an  enemy 
to  those  who  are  enemies  to  him,  we  shall  be  like- 
ly to  exercise  the  same  spirit  and  disposition  which 
wo  believe  our  Father  in  heaven  possesses  ;  and  we 
jri^Hfv  mirsfJvefl  in  ^o  doing  by  the  divim 


si 

authority.  Those  who  have  and  maintain  this  eii- 
roneous  belief,  are  seldom  if  ever  at  a  loss  to  know 
who  the  friends  of  God  are,  and  who  are  his  enemies. 
They  are  persuaded  that  they  have  the  true  faith, 
that  they  are  the  friends  of  God,  and  of  course 
God  is  their  friend  ;  loves  them,  and  will  do  good 
to  them  ;  but  those  who  subscribe  not  to  the  same 
particular  creed,  are  enemies  to  God,  are  the  ob- 
jects of  his  wrath  and  of  their  most  bitter  enmity. 
Such  people  will  effect  great  concern  for  those 
whom  they  esteem  as  the  enemies  of  the  true  faith, 
and  will  frequently  exhort  them  to  make  God  their 
friend,  to  delay  no  time  in  bringing  themselves  to 
those  terms  and  to  that  condition  which  will  secure 
the  good  will  of  our  Father  who  is  in  heaven.  But 
the  only  way  that  this  can  be  done,  is  to  become 
conformed  to  the  particular  creed  and  formalities 
of  those  who  stile  themselves  the  friends  of  God. 
Why  did  not  our  blessed  Redeemer  in  the  room  of 
teaching  men  that  their  Father  in  heaven  loves  his 
enemies,  and  that  they  must  love  their  enemies  in 
order  to  be  like  him,  exhort  them,  as  we  are  fre- 
quently exhorted,  to  make  our  Father  in  heaven 
our  friend  ?  Answer,  because  such  an  exhortation 
implies  that  God  is  no  better  than  the  publicans, 
who  love  those  that  love  them,  and  is  calculated 
to  maintain  all  the  partiality  in  faith  and  practice 
from  which  Jesus  came  to  save  the  world. 

To  conclude  ;  Let  us,  my  brethren,  endeavor  to 
seek  to  the  foundation  of  our  religion,  learn  the 
true  character  of  our  Father  in  heaven,  and  be 
cautious  that  we  never  consent  to  any  belief,  which 
in  any  way  involves  the  notion  that  God  ever  was 
or  ever  can  be  an  enemy  to  any  of  the  works  of  his 
hands.  And  on  the  immoveable  flock  of  God's  im- 
partial love  to  all  men,  let  our  faith  and  our  hope 
rest ;  but  not  forgetting  that  the  benefits  of  thii 
heavenly  doctrine  of  love  divine  can  never  be  real- 


ised,  until  it  works  in  us  a  conformity  to  its  require- 
ments, and  brings  us  into  that  heavenly  temper  and 
spirit  by  which  we  shall  love  our  enemies,  do  good 
to  them  that  hate  us,  and  pray  in  faith,  nothing 
doubting,  for  those  whodespitefullyuse  us  and  per- 
secute us.  Let  us  open  our  eyes  to  the  visible 
signs  of  the  love  and  goodness  of  God,  and  read  the 
instructive  lectures,  which  are  delivered  by  a  be- 
neficent providence  every  day  and  every  hour,  and 
by  them  learn  that  wisdom  which  is  from  above, 
which  "  is  first  pure,  then  peaceable,  gentle,  and 
easy  to  be  entreated,  full  of  mercy  and  good  fruits, 
without  partiality  and  without  hypocrisy." 


No.  3. 

LECTURE  SERMON, 

DELIVERED  AT  THE 
SECOND  UNIVERSALIST  MEETING,  IN  BOSTON, 

AUGUST  30,   1818. 


BY  HOSEA  BALLOU,  PASTOR. 

Published  Semi-Monthly,  by  Henry  Bowen,  Devonshire-street. 

GALATIANS,  iii.  21. 
*4  /*  the  law  then  against  the  promises  of  God  ?  God  forbid." 

BY  the  manner  of  the  Apostle's  writing  in  this 
epistle,  .it  appears  evident  that  Christians,  even  as 
early  as  the  time  of  the  Apostles,  were  strongly  in- 
clined to  the  opinion,  that  the  works  of  the  law 
were  necessary  to  give  validity  and  efficacy  to  the 
gospel  of  Jesus  Christ.  To  this  agrees  the  account 
we  have  in  the  15th  of  Acts,  where  we  are  inform- 
ed that  "  certain  men,  which  came  down  from  Ju- 
dea"  to  Antioch,  "  taught  the  brethren  and  said, 
except  ye  be  circumcised  after  the  manner  of  Moses, 
ye  cannot  be  saved."  From  such  sentiments  it  ap- 
pears the  Apostle  labored  with  great  earnestness 
to  dissuade  his  brethren.  The  chapter  from  which 
our  text  is  chosen  begins  as  follows  ;  "  O  foolish 
Galatians,  who  hath  bewitched  you,  that  ye  should 
not  obey  the  truth,  before  whose  eyes  Jesus  Christ 
hath  been  evidently  set  forth,  crucified  among  you? 
This  only  would  I  learn  of  you ;  received  ye  the 
Spirit  by  the  works  of  the  law,  or  by  the  hearing 
of  faith?  Are  ye  so  foolish  ?  having  begun  in  the 
Spirit,  are  ye  now  made  perfect  by  the  flesh  ?"  A 
5 


34 

little  attention  to  this  subject  will  discover  that  by 
law  and  flesh  the  author  means  the  same  thing, 
He  endeavoured  to  explain  to  his  Christian  bre- 
thren the  design  and  utility  of  the  law,  and  to  show 
that  it  had  neither  power  to  give  the  life  of  faith, 
or  to  render  the  promises  of  the  gospel  covenant 
without  effect.  He  stated  the  important  question 
on  which  his  whole  argument  rested,  and  answered 
it  in  our  text ;  "  Is  the  law  then  against  the  pro- 
mises of  God  ?  God  forbid."  Whatever  is  contain- 
ed in  the  promises  of  God,  be  it  ever  so  much  or 
ever  so  good,  it  is  not  in  the  least  subject  to  be 
rendered  hull  or  even  diminished  in  the  least  de- 
gree by  the  law ;  and  on  the  other  hand  the  promises 
of  God  do  in  no  wise  frustrate  the  law,  but  the  doc- 
trine of  the  divine  promises  does  in  fact  establish 
the  law.  To  this  effect  are  the  words  of  the 
Apostle  to  the  Romans  ;  "  Do  we  then  make  void 
the  law  through  faith  ?  God  forbid  !  yea,  we  estab- 
lish the  law."  Moreover  Jesus  himself  said ; 
"  Think  not  that  I  am  come  to  destroy  the  law,  or 
the  prophets :  I  am  not  come  to  destroy,  but  to  ful- 
fil.'* 

Our  first  enquiry  may  be  directed  to  ascertain 
what  is  contained  in  the  promises  of  God.  This 
subject  is  of  the  utmost  importance,  and  if  duly 
considered  cannot  fail  to  engage  the  attention  of 
the  hearer,  and  draw  the  mind  of  each  individual 
present  to  an  entire  devotion  to  the  enquiry  pro- 
posed. The  audience  will  not  feel,  on  this  sub- 
ject, an  idle  indifference  scarcely  to  be  avoided 
while  listening  to  declamations,  authorised  only  by 
human  imaginations.  Nor  can  any  part  of  the 
congregation  feel  a  less  interest  in  the  subject  than 
the  rest,  for  the  promises  about  to  be  examined  are 
expressive  of  the  will  of  our  Father  in  heaven,  of 
whose  divine  bounty  we  are  all  equal  heirs. 

It  is  natural  for  children  to  listen  with  attention 


35 

and  solicitude  to  the  reading  of  the  will  of  an  earth- 
ly parent,  even  where  there  is  but  little  left  for 
the  heirs,  for  they  greatly  desire  to  know  if  the 
same  good  will  and  impartial  favor  be  discovera- 
ble in  the  last  expressions  and  latest  testimony  of 
parental  love,  as  had  evidently  marked  the  parent's 
conduct  through  life.  But  where  a  vast  fortune  is 
left  in  legacies,  self  interest,  that  ruling  passion  of 
the  soul,  renders  attention  active,  and  every  one  is 
wide  awake ;  and  anxious  to  know  the  contents  of 
this  final  testament.  How  much  more  then  shall 
we  be  desirous  to  acquaint  ourselves  with  the  pro- 
mises of  our  heavenly  Father  which  express  what 
he  hath  laid  up  for  us  in  the  covenant  of  his  grace  ? 
With  what  impressions  of  mind  ought  we  to  com- 
mence this  research  ?  Is  it  proper  that  we  begin 
this  examination  with  prepossessions  of  mind  most 
favorable  to  limited  and  ungenerous  principles,  or 
guch  as  better  correspond  with  the  divine  goodness 
continually  manifested  in  a  boundless,  rich,  and 
munificent  providence  ?  If  simple  nature  alone  had 
been  our  instructor,  if  we  had  not  been  educated 
in  a  belief  which  limits  the  holy  One,  if  we  were 
left  to  judge  of  the  goodness  of  the  divine  Being, 
respecting  the  moral  and  spiritual  interests  of  his 
creatures  from  his  impartial  goodness  in  his  tem- 
poral providence,  have  we  the  least  reason  to  be- 
lieve that  we  should  be  in  possession  of  notions  op- 
posed to  the  universality  of  divine  mercy  ?  But  un- 
happily for  us,  we  have  early  imbibed  illiberal  views 
of  God  and  his  goodness,  and  under  this  embarrass- 
ment we  stand  opposed  to  rational  views  of  univer- 
sal goodness  ;  hence  in  treating  the  subject  pro- 
posed, arguments  are  needed  which  may  tend  to  do 
away  our  prejudices,  and  to  establish  in  our  minds  a 
doctrine  which  will  be  seen  to  harmonize  with  the 
wonderful  works  and  universal  goodness  of  God. 
The  promises  of  God  of  which  the  Apostle  spake 


36 

in  the  text  are  those  made  to  Abraham,  which  we 
may  learn  from  the  following  in  the  context ; 
"  Now  to  Abraham  and  his  seed  were  the  promises 
made.  He  saith  not  and  to  seeds,  as  of  many  ;  but 
as  of  one,  and  to  thy  seed,  which  is  Christ."  These 
promises  made  to  Abraham  in  Christ,  the  Apostle 
calls  a  covenant,  as  he  expresses  in  his  next  words ; 
"  And  this  I  say,  that  the  covenant  that  was  con- 
firmed before  of  God  in  Christ,  the  law,  which  was 
four  hundred  and  thirty  years  after,  cannot  disan- 
nul, that  it  should  make  the  promise  of  none  effect. 
For  if  the  inheritance  be  of  the  law,  it  is  no  more 
of  promise ;  but  God  gave  it  to  Abraham  by  pro- 
mise." By  this  scripture  we  learn  that  the  pro- 
mises made  to  Abraham  are  called  a  covenant 
which  was  confirmed  in  Christ ;  and  that  which  the 
promises  contain,  is  called  an  inheritance. 

The  promises  to  Abraham  are  recorded,  Genesis 
xii:  2,  3,  "  I  will  make  of  Ihee  a  great  nation,  and  I 
will  bless  thee,  and  make  thy  name  great;  and  thou 
bhalt  be  a  blessing.  And  I  will  bless  them  that 
bless  thce,  and  curse  them  that  curseth  thee  ;  and 
in  thee  shall  all  families  of  the  earth  be  blessed." 
xviii.  18.  "  Abraham  shall  surely  become  a  great  and 
mighty  nation,  and  all  the  nations  of  the  earth  shall 
be  blessed  in  him."  xxii.  18.  "  In  thy  seed  shall  all 
the  nations  of  the  earth  be  blessed."  The  confirma- 
tion of  these  promises  to  Isaac  is  recorded,  Genesis 
xxvi.  3,4.  "  Sojourn  in  thisland,  and  I  will  be  with 
thee,  and  will  bless  thee  ;  for  unto  thee,  and  unto 
th>  seed,  I  will  give  all  these  countries  ;  and  I  will 
perform  the  oath  which  I  sware  unto  Abraham  thy 
father.  And  I  will  make  thy  seed  to  multiply  as  the 
'stars  of  heaven,  and  I  will  give  unto  thy  seed  all  these 
countries ;  and  in  thy  seed  shall  all  the  nations  of 
the  earth  be  blessed."  The  confirmation  of  the 
s:ame  promises  to  Jacob  we  read  in  Chapter  xxviii. 
11,  •"  And  thy  seed  shall  be  as  the  dust  of  the  earth ; 


37 

and  thou  shalt  spread  abroad  to  the  west,  and  to 
the  east,  and  to  the  north,  and  to  the  south  :  and  in 
thee,  and  in  thy  seed,  shall  all  the  families  of  the 
earth  be  blessed." 

These  are  the  promises  of  God,  of  which  men- 
tion is  made  in  our  text,  and  which  our  text  says, 
the  law  is  not  against.  It  may  be  well  now  to  en- 
quire something  respecting  the  extensiveness  of 
these  promises.  What  is  the  most  natural  sense  of 
such  language  as  this  ?  "  All  the  nations  of  the 
earth,  all  the  families  of  the  earth  ;"  and  such  as 
St.  Peter  used,  Acts  iii.  25,  "  Ye  are  the  children 
of  the  prophets  and  of  the  covenant  which  God 
made  with  our  fathers,  saying  unto  Abraham,  and 
in  thy  seed  shall  all  the  kindreds  of  the  earth  be 
blessed."  Would  any  person,  having  the  least 
knowledge  of  language,  make  use  of  such  to  ex- 
press something  concerning  a  very  small  part  of 
mankind  ?  The  learned  and  pious  divines  who 
composed  the  Westminster  Catechism  did  not  make 
use  of  such  language  to  express  the  covenant  of 
grace  in  which  they  believed.  Their  words  are 
the  following  ;  "  God  having,  out  of  his  mere  good 
pleasure,  from  all  eternity,  elected  some  to  ever- 
lasting life,  did  enter  into  a  covenant  of  grace,  to 
deliver  them  out  of  a  state  of  sin  and  misery,  and 
to  bring  them  into  a  state  of  salvation,  by  a  Re- 
deemer." Will  any  candid  person  say,  that  this 
language  which  the  Westminster  divines  made  use 
of  to  express  their  covenant  of  grace,  and  the  lan- 
guage which  God  used  to  express  his  covenant 
of  grace  to  Abraham,  Isaac  and  Jacob  are  of 
the  same  import  ?  No  one  will  pretend  this.  If  it 
had  been  the  intention  of  those  divines  to  state  the 
covenant  of  which  St.  Peter  spoke  in  Acts  iii. 
would  they  not  have  been  likely  to  make  use  of 
such  language  as  he  used,  and  as  is  used  in  other 
parts  of  the  scriptures  on  the  same  subject  ?  There 


38 

can  be  no  doubt  of  this.  But  the  fact  is,  their  cov- 
enant of  grace  is  not  mentioned  in  the  whole  of 
the  divine  oracles.  It  is  a  most  humiliating  thought, 
that  the  wisdom  of  God  should  have  been  thus  to- 
tally neglected,  and  the  wisdom,  the  partial,  sensual 
wisdom  of  this  world  set  in  its  stead.  It  is  a  matter 
of  most  painful  reflection,  that  while  the  Christian 
church  have  made  no  provision  to  teach  youth  the 
gospel  covenant  of  the  God  of  Abraham,  of  Isaac 
and  Jacob,  unwearied  pains  and  innumerable 
means  have  been  employed  to  instruct  them,  "  and 
that  right  early,"  in  this  covenent  of  men's  inven- 
tion. But,  by  attending  too  much  to  the  vain  no- 
tions of  men,  we  shall  get  away  from  our  subject. 
We  will  therefore  observe,  that  the  language  in 
which  the  covenant  which  God  made  with  the  fa- 
thers is  expressed,  is  as  extensive  as  any  language 
that  could  have  been  used,  unless  more  than  the 
whole  human  family  were  to  be  comprehended :  All 
nations  of  the  earth,  all  the  families  of  the  earth, 
and  all  the  k  indreds  of  the  earth,  is  universal ;  and 
all  the  partial  creeds  of  men  acknowledge  it  to  be 
so  by  carefully  and  respectfully  neglecting  to  use  it. 

Our  next  enquiry  will  seek  to  ascertain  the  bles- 
sing which  is  promised  to  all  the  nations  of  the 
earth  in  the  covenant  of  God. 

This  question  is  settled  by  the  testimony  of  the 
Apostle  in  our  context ;  "  And  the  scriptures  fore- 
seeing that  God  would  justify  the  heathen  through 
faith,  preached  before  the  gospel  unto  Abraham, 
saying,  in  thee  shall  all  nations  be  blessed."  This 
blessing  then  is  justification  through  faith.  Of  this 
justification  the  Apostle  speaks  to  the  Romans  in 
language  as  extensive  as  that  in  which  the  cove- 
pant  of  grace  was  expressed  to  Abraham.  His 
words  are  as  follows  ;  "  For  all  have  sinned,  and 
come  short  of  the  glory  of  God ;  being  justi$ed 
freely  by  his  grace,  through  the  redemption  that  is 


39 

in  Christ  Jesus."  Again  to  the  Romans,  the  Apostle 
speaking  of  Christ,  says  ;  "  Who  was  delivered  for 
our  offences,  and  was  raised  again  for  our  justifica- 
tion." The  same  author  in  a  discourse  at  Antioch 
said  ;  "  A  nd  we  declare  unto  you  glad  tidings,  how 
that  the  promise  which  was  made  unto  the  fathers, 
God  hath  fulfilled  the  same  unto  us  their  children, 
in  that  he  hath  raised  up  Jesus  again."  The  hearer 
is  requested  to  notice,  that  according  to  the  pas- 
sages quoted,  the  promise  to  Abraham  is  called 
the  gospel.  This  gospel  was  preached  by  God 
himself,  and  no  doubt  was  preached  truly,  and  as 
Abraham  believed,  and  as  we  ought  to  believe  at 
this  day.  We  also  see  that  the  thing  promised, 
which  the  Apostle  calls  "  the  inheritance,"  is  jus- 
tification through  faith,  the  word  jaith  meaning 
covenant  ;  and  moreover,  that  all  that  have  sinned, 
and  come  short  of  the  glory  of  God,  are  thus 
<f  justified  freely  by  his  grace,  through  the  re- 
demption that  is  in  Christ  Jesus."  Should  the  trite 
objection,  that  this  doctrine  justifies  men  in  sin,  be 
moved  in  this  case,  we  reply  in  the  words  of  divine 
truth,  which  never  speaks  of  justifying  men  in  sin, 
but  "from,  all  things,  from  which  we  could  not  be 
justified  by  the  law  of  Moses."  St.  Peter  applies 
the  blessing  which  God  promised,  in  his  covenant, 
to  Abraham,  as  follows  ;  "  Unto  you  first,  God, 
having  raised  up  his  Son  Jesus,  sent  him  to  bless 
you,  in  turning  away  every  one  of  you  from  hii 
iniquities."  One  important  object  which  we  have 
in  view,  is  to  show  the  nature  of  the  gospel  salva- 
tion, which  is  salvation  from  sin  and  all  its  evils. 

The  hearer  is  now  requested  to  consider  the 
terms  or  conditions  of  the  promises,  the  covenant 
made  with  the  fathers,  which  embraces  the  salva- 
tion of  all  the  nations,  all  the  families,  and  all  the 
kindreds  of  the  earth  in  Jesus  Christ.  If  these 
promises  were  made  on  any  conditions  of  obedi- 


40 

ence  on  the  part  of  the  heirs  of  this  inheritance, 
then  unless  these  conditions  are  fulfilled  we  have 
no  right  to  the  promises.  But  blessed,  forever 
blessed  be  the  name  of  the  God  of  Abraham,  this 
covenant  rests  on  no  conditions  of  man's  obedi- 
ence. There  is  not  a  word  in  the  promises  made 
to  the  fathers,  that  intimates  any  condition  on  the 
part  of  those  who  were  to  be  blessed.  Our  heaven-. 
ly  Father  here  manifests  his  own  unchangeable,  un- 
influenced, unconditional  good  will  and  gracious 
purpose  concerning  all  the  sons  and  daughters  of 
Adam.  "  God,  willing  more  abundantly,  to  shew 
unto  the  heirs  of  promise,  the  immutability  of  his 
counsel,  confirmed  it  by  an  oath  ;  for  when  God 
made  promise  to  Abraham,;  because  he  could  swear 
by  no  greater,  he  sware  by  himself."  And  the  de- 
sign of  this  oath  was,  "  that  we  might  have  strong 
consolation  who  have  fled  for  refuge  to  lay  hold  on 
the  hope  set  before  us." 

Corresponding  with  the  unconditionality  of  the 
^'covenant  of  promise,"  we  may  notice  a  passage 
or  two  from  the  prophet  Isaiah  and  St.  Paul.  The 
evangelical  prophet  uses  language  in  his  26th 
Chapter  which  corresponds  in  three  important 
points  with  the  language  of  the  divine  promises. 
1st.  It  is  universal. — 2d.  It  contains  the  testimony 
of  life  ;  and  3d.  The  language  is  positive,  not  con- 
ditional. The  passage  reads  as  follows  ;  "And  in 
this  mountain  shall  the  Lord  of  hosts  make  unto  all 
people  a  feast  of  fat  things,  of  wines  on  the  lees  ; 
of  fat  things  full  of  marrow,  of  wines  on  the  lees 
well  refined.  And  he  will  destroy  in  this  mountain 
the  face  of  the  covering  cast  over  all  people,  and 
the  vail  that  is  spread  over  all  nations.  He  will 
swallow  up  deatli  in  victory ;  and  the  Lord  God 
will  wipe  away  tears  from  all  faces ;  and  the  re- 
buke of  his  people  shall  he  take  away  from  off  all 
the  earth ;  for  the  Lord  hath  spoken  it."  In  his 


41 

9th  Chapter,  speaking  of  the  Messiah,  he  says ; 
u  For  unto  us  a  child  is  born,  unto  us  a  son  is  given, 
and  the  government  shall  be  upon  his  shoulders  ; 
and  his  name  shall  be  called  Wonderful,  Counsel- 
lor, the  mighty  God,  the  everlasting  Father,  the 
Prince  of  peace.  Of  the  increase  of  his  govern- 
ment and  peace  there  shall  be  no  end."  No  com- 
ments are  necessary  to  show,  that  the  language 
quoted  from  the  prophet  corresponds  with  that  in 
which  the  "  covenant  of  promise"  is  recorded. 

That  the  salvation  of  the  gospel  is  not  accord- 
ing to  the  works  of  men,  St.  Paul's  testimony  to 
Timothy  fully  shows ;  "  Who  hath  saved  us,  and 
called  us  with  an  holy  calling,  not  according  to  our 
works,  but  according  to  his  own  purpose  and  grace, 
which  was  given  us  in  Christ  Jesus  before  the  world 
began  ;  but  is  now  made  manifest  by  the  appear- 
ing of  our  Saviour  Jesus  Christ,  who  hath  abolished 
death,  and  hath  brought  life  and  immortality  to 
light  through  the  gospel."     To   Titus  he   says  ; 
"  Not  by  works  of  righteousness  which  we  have 
done,  but  according  to  his  mercy  he  saved  us."  On 
the  same  subject,  to  the  Ephesians  lie  says  ;  "  Not 
of  works,  lest  any  man  should  boast."     The  pas- 
sage just  quoted  from  the  epistle  to  Timothy  is 
remarkable  for  its  clearness  on  our  subject:  "  Who 
hath  saved  us,  and  called  us  with  an  holy  calling, 
not  according  to  our  works."    If  this  salvation  and 
calling  were  not  according  to  the  works,  of  those 
who  were  saved,  then  it  must  be   according  to 
something  else.    And  this  something  must  form  a 
principle  on  which  God  could  act  with  perfect  con- 
sistency with  holiness,   justice  and  truth.      The 
Apostle  says  ;  "  But  according  to  his  own  purpose 
and  grace,  which  was  given  us  in  Christ  Jesus  be- 
fore the  world  began."    Thus  it  is  plain,  that  God 
purposed  in  his  grace,  before  the  world  began,  ttf 
6 


42 

aave  men,  not  according  to  their  works.  To  this 
argument  the  objector  will  reply,  that  it  is  evident 
according  to  scripture  and  according  to  reason  and 
the  fitness  of  things,  that  men  should  be  dealt 
with  according  to  their  merit  and  demerit.  The 
objector  will  coritenp!,  that  this  is  according  to  the 
law  given  fo  Israel  by  Moses,  and  is  likewise  ac- 
cording to  the  law  given  to  the  Gentiles,  written  in 
their  heart.  To  all  this  we  give  our  full  and  cor- 
dial consent,  and  proceed  to  show  that  this  is  no 
real  objection  against  the  salvation  for  which  we 
have  contended,  by  illustrating  the  fact  stated  in 
our  text,  that  the  law  is  not  against  the  promises 
of  God. 

This  the  Apostle  has  done  in  our  context,  in  a 
very  able  and  concise  manner.  His  argument  is 
the  following,  which  has  been  already  quoted  on 
another  subject ;  "And  this  I  say,  that  the  cove- 
nant that  was  confirmed  before  of  God  in  Christ,  the 
law,  which  was  four  hundred  and  thirty  years  after, 
cannot  disannul,  that  it  should  make  tne  promise 
of  none  effect." 

Never  was  there  an  argument  more  clear  and 
conclusive.  In  order  that  the  law  might  have  any 
power  to  control  the  covenant  of  promise  it  should 
have  existed  prior  to,  or  at  least  simultaneous  with 
it ;  and  then  there  must  have  been  conditions  in  the 
covenant  of  promise  of  which  the  law  should  have 
power  to  take  cognizance.  If  the  objector  fur- 
ther contend,  that  the  moral  nature  of  the  law  did 
exist  at  the  time  and  even  before  the  promise  was 
made  to  Abraham,  we  grant  the  fact,  and  say ;  if 
it  were  consistent  with  the  moral  nature  of  the  law, 
for  God  to  make  such  promises,  it  certainly  can- 
not be  contrary  to  it,  for  him  to  fulfil  them.  It 
was  the  same  God  who  gave  the  law  to  man, 
that  made  the  promises  to  tti&  father  of  the  faith- 


fill ;  and  nothing  can  be  more  unreasonable  than 
to  suppose,  that  he  either  made  a  law  against 
his  own  promises,  or  promises  against  his  own 
law. 

The  true  design  of  the  law,  in  relation  to  the 
gospel  which   was  preached  unto  Abraham,  is  re- 
presented by  a  well  chosen  metaphor  in  the  chapter 
where  our  text  is' found,  *«  Wherefore  the  law  was 
our  schoolmaster   to  bring  us  unto   Christ,   that 
we  might  be  justified  by  faith."     As  the  appoint- 
ment of  a  schoolmaster  is  certainly  for  the  benefit 
of  the  pupils ;  to  instruct  and  discipline  them  for 
advancement  in  duties  and  in  enjoyments,  so  the 
law  was  designed  to  instruct  and  discipline  man- 
kind for  the  sublime  duties  and  enjoyments  of  the 
religion  of  Jesus  Christ.     While  his  children  are 
at  school,  or  even  before  they  are  of  age  to  profit 
by  such  an  institution,  the  kind  affectionate  father 
may  will  to  his  children    independent    fortunes. 
These  minors  may,  notwithstanding  they  are  heirs 
to  this  testament  of  their  father's,  be  kept  at  school, 
be  instructed  and  disciplined  by  a  faithful  master 
until  the  time  appointed  of  the  father  for  them  to 
come  into  possession  of  their  inheritance,  and  to  be 
free  from  the  government  of  the  school.      In  this 
simile  it  is  easy  to  see,  that  the  children  were  dealt 
with   according  to  their   merit  and  demerit ;  the 
schoolmaster  could  do  his  whole  duty  to  his  pupils 
without  concerning  himself  about  their  father's  will. 
His   authority   did    not    extend    to   take   cogni- 
zance of  that  instrument  of  grace,  nor  did  that 
testament  which  made  these  children  vastly  rich 
infringe  in  theleast  on  the  authority  of  the  school- 
master.    There  is  no  power  in  the  will  to  screen 
the  disobedient    scholar    from  the    faithful    hand 
of  righteous  discipline.    These  two  dispensations 
harmonise  in  doing   good  to  the  same  persons? 


44 

fr  their  respective  ways,  In  relation  to  our  sub- 
ject, the  Apostle  says  in  connection  with  our  text; 
"  Now  I  say,  that  the  heir,  as  long  as  he  is  a  child, 
differeth  nothing  from  a  servant,  though  he  be  lord 
of  all ;  but  is  under  tutors  and  governors,  until  the 
time  appointed  of  the  Father.  Even  so  we,  when 
we  \vere  children,  were  in  bondage  under  the  ele- 
ments of  the  world." 

But  the  objector  urges  that  it  is  written  ;  "  cursed 
is  every  one  that  continueth  not  in  all  things  writ- 
ten in  the  book  of  the  law  to  do  them  ;"  and  "  the 
soul  that  sinneth,  it  shall  die."  Let  this  all  be 
granted ;  and  let  it  stand  without  attempting  to 
weaken  it  in  the  least ;  but  let  us  remember  with 
gratitude  and  joy  of  heart,  that  "  Christ  hath  re- 
deemed us  from  the  curse  of  the  law,  being  made 
a  curse  for  us."  And  also,  that  those  who  were 
dead  in  trespasses  and  in  sins,  hath  God  quickened 
together  with  Christ.  It  is  true,  "  the  wages  of  sin 
is  death  ;"  but  it  is  also  true  that  "  the  gift  of  God 
is  eternal  life,  through  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord." 

Will  the  objector  now  say,  that  the  curse  of  Uie 
Jaw  is  eternal  death,  and  therefore  if  this  curse 
came  upon  any,  they  cannot  obtain  salvation  ?  Then 
we  reply  and  say  ;  this  objection  does  not  rest  on 
the  divine  testimony.  The  words  "  eternal  death," 
are  not  in  the  scriptures.  The  objector,  therefore, 
lias  no  right  to  require  any  further  reply.  The 
text  says  ;  "  cursed  is  every  one,"  &c.  It  does  not 
say  ;  cursed  shall  be  every  one  in  Ike  eternal  rvorld> 
who  continueth  not  in  all  things  written  in  the  book 
of  the  Jaw  to  do  them,  in  this  world. 

To  the  Corinthians  the  Apostle  speaks  of  the 
ministration  of  the  law  as  a  ministration  of  death, 
but  he  by  no  means  allows  it  either  an  eternal 
duration,  or  pow»3r  to  prevent  in  the  least  de- 
U;e  ministration  of  life,  He,  speaks  as  fol- 


45 

lows ;  "  Who  also  hath  made  us  able  ministers 
of  the  new-testament,  not  of  the  letter,  but  of 
the  spirit  ;  for  the  letter  killeth,  but  the  spirit 
giveth  life.  But  if  the  ministration  of  death,  writ- 
ten and  engraven  in  stones,  was  glorious,  so  that 
the  children  of  Israel  could  not  stedfastly  behold 
the  face  of  Moses,  for  the  glory  of  his  countenance, 
which  glory  was  to  be  done  away  ;  how  shall  riot 
the  ministration  of  the  spirit  be  rather  glorious  ? 
For  if  the  ministration  of  condemnation  be  glory, 
much  more  doth  the  ministration  of  righteousness 
exceed  in  glory.  For  even  that  which  was  made 
glorious,  had  no  glory  in  this  respect,  by  reason 
of  the  glory  that  excelleth.  For  if  that  which  is 
done  away  was  glorious,  much  more  that  which  re- 
maineth  is  glorious." 

We  see,  by  the  Apostle's  reasoning,  that  the  law 
dispensation,  being  a  ministration  of  death,  "  was 
to  be  done  away,"  and  succeeded  with  the  minis- 
tration of  righteousness ;  but  that  these  dispensa- 
tions are  opposed  to  each  other  is  not  allowed  by 
any  scripture  argument. 

This  doctrine,  that  the  law  is  not  against  the 
promises  of  God,  which  we  find  abundantly  prov- 
ed from  the  scriptures  which  have  been  noticed,  is 
a  doctrine  which  is  plainly  taught  in  the  economy 
of  divine  providence  and  in  the  most  essential  gov- 
ernment embraced  in  human  concerns  ;  I  mean  the 
government  and  economy  of  a  family.  In  the  divine 
providence,  God  has  promised  (and  he  fulfils  his 
word)  that  there  shall  be  summer  and  winter,  seed 
time  and  harvest.  These  blessings  do  not  depend 
on  men,  men  depend  on  them ;  man's  labor  does 
not  call  them  forth,  but  they  call  men  to  their 
work  ;  and  accordingly  as  they  labor  and  wisely 
improve  their  advantages,  they  are  rewarded.  If 
they  neglect  tbe  duties  of  the  season,  they  are  re-. 


s 


compeused  wilii  want.  In  a  family  government 
ami  economy,  there  are  many  favors  bestowed  on 
children,  that  in  the  nature  of  things,  cannot  depend 
on  the  obedience  of  those  who  receive  them.  How 
many  favors  does  parental  love  bestow  on  infancy, 
favors  essential  to  life,  long  before  the  subjects  are 
capable  of  knowing  on  whom  they  depend  for  sup- 
port ?  And  in  the  last  will  and  testament  of  paren- 
tal provision,  how  many  valuable  legacies  are  be- 
stowed on  children,  to  which  they  had  no  other 
claim  but  heirship  ?  But  all  these  blessings  which 
are  entirely  independent  of  the  conduct  of  chil- 
dren, have  no  power  to  prevent  the  reasonable  ex- 
ercise of  a  proper  discipline  during  that  period  in 
which  the  offspring  are  subjects  of  such  an  economy. 
And  on  the  other  hand,  it  is  as  plainly  seen,  that 
this  discipline  has  no  power  to  oppose  the  interest 
which  the  child  holds  by  beirship ;  but  then  one 
seems  to  establish  the  other ;  for  that  relation  which 
gives  the  right  to  administer  discipline,  holds  also 
the  right  of  heirship. 

From  the  several  points  of  doctrine,  which  we 
have  endeavored  to  support,  the  following  inferen- 
ces may  be  drawn. 

Jst.  There  is,  according  to  the  scriptures,  in  the 
moral  government  of  our  heavenly  Father,  a  wisely 
concerted  discipline,  by  which  the  faults  of  men 
are  duly  noticed  and  faithfully  and  compassionate- 
ly chastised.  But  it  is  not  consistent  with  the  de- 
sign of  this  dispensation  to  extend  correction  or 
punishment  for  sin,  so  as,  in  any  way,  to  deprive, 
even  the  sinner,  of  the  everlasting  inheritance  which 
belongs  to  the  sons  of  God. 

The  opinion,  therefore,  that  the  law  of  God  de- 
mands the  everlasting,  or  eternal  punishment  of  sin- 
ners is,  by  no  means  a  scripture  doctrine  ;  for  sure- 
ly such  a  doctrine  would  prove  that  the  law  was 


against  the  promises.  Su-ch  a  law,  in  the  room  of 
being  a  schoolmaster  to  bring  us  to  Christ,  would 
be  an  unmerciful  tyrant,  like  Pharoah,  who  held  the 
people  of  God  in  bondage,  and  refused  to  let  them 
go.  This  divine  law  and  discipline  of  our  heaven- 
ly Father  admonishes  us  to  take  heed  to  our  ways. 
Hereby  we  are  advised,  commanded,  admonished, 
rebuked,  warned,  threatened  ;  and  in  case  of  obsti- 
nate disobedience,  and  continuance  in  sin,  we  are 
severely  punished.  But  let  us  always  remember 
that  the  chastisements  of  our  heavenly  Father 
are  for  our  profit,  that  we  may  be  partakers  of  his 
Holiness. 

2d.  We  may  infer  from  the  doctrine  we  have  main- 
tained, that  the  sense  of  what  St.  Peter  said  to  the 
Jews  is  equally  true  respecting  all  men  ;  "  Ye  are 
the  children  of  the  prophets,  and  of  the  covenant 
which  God  made  with  our  fathers,  saying  unto 
Abraham,  and  in  thy  seed  shall  all  the  kindreds  of 
the  earth  be  blessed."  Those  to  whom  St.  Peter 
spake  these  words,  were  those  who  delivered  up  Je- 
sus and  denied  him  in  the  presence  of  Pilate  ;  they 
were  those  who  denied  the  holy  One  and  the  just, 
and  desired  a  murderer  to  be  granted  unto  them, 
and  killed  the  Prince  of  life.  "  These,"  Peter  said, 
**  were  the  children  of  the  prophets,  and  of  the  cove- 
nant which  God  made  with  our  fathers."  Now  as  the 
promise  of  the  covenant  was  to  "  all  the  kindreds 
of  the  earth,  and  as  the  testimony  of  the  prophets 
was  equally  extensive,  we  conclude  that  all  the 
families,  all  the  nations,  and  all  the  kindreds  of  the 
earth"  are  the  children  of  the  prophetic  testimony,, 
and  of  the  covenant  of  promise.  The  blessing 
promised  was  also  mentioned  by  this  Apostle  as  has 
been  noticed  ;  "  Unto  you  first,  God,  having  raised 
up  his  Son  Jesus,  sent  him  to  bless  you,  in  turning 
away  every  one  of  you  from  his  iniquities. 


48 

Let  us  conclude  with  the  Apostle's  exhortation , 
#  Stand  fast,  therefore,  in  the  liberty  wherewith 
Christ  hath  made  us  free,  and  be  not  entangled 
again  with  the  yoke  of  bondage." 


;'.  No.  4  Jr 

<>•      LECTURE  SERMON,        .V- 

DELIVERED  AT  THE 

/  » i, 

SECOND  UNIVERSALIST  MEETING,  IN  BOSTON* 

SEPTEMBER  13,  1818. 


BY  HOSEA  BALLOU,  PASTOR. 


Published  Semi-Monthly,  by  Henry  Bowen,  Devonshire-street. 

1.  JOHN,  iv-  16. 
"  God  is  love" 

IN  ^the  infinite  variety  of  all  important  subjects 
to  which  the  rich  treasures  of  divine  revelation  call 
our  most  serious  and  engaged  attention,  this,  ex- 
pressed in  our  text,  is  unquestionably  entitled  to 
the  highest  rank.  However  the  thoughtless  and 
profane  may  treat  the  Supreme  Disposer  of  all 
things,  however  triflingly  the  name  of  the  Most 
High  may  be  handed  round  by  polluted  lips,  one 
moment's  serious  attention  to  the  impropriety  of 
such  communication  is  sufficient  to  convince  the 
reasonable  mind,  that  GOD  is  a  subject  infinitely 
too  great  to  be  introduced  into  trifling  conversa- 
tion, and  infinitely  too  good  to  be  mentioned  by 
profane  lips.  But  notwithstanding  the  improprie- 
ty and  evil,  of  which  mention  has  been  made,  are 
great  and  heinous,  they  bear  but  a  scant  compari- 
son with  the  impropriety  and  evil  of  representing 
the  great  Father  of  our  spirits  as  a  character  which 
would  be  dishonorable  to  man,  who  fa  but  a 
worm  of  the  dust. 

7 


50 

If  we  lay  aside  the  prejudices  which  the  creeds 
of  men  have  carefully  treasured  up  in  our  deceitful 
hearts,  we  shall  at  once  be  struck  with  horror  at  the 
character  which  a  false  education  has*  given  to  the 
best  of  all  intelligent  beings.  The  moral  evil  na- 
turally growing  from  false  notions  of  the  divine 
character,  has  so  established  its  empire  in  the 
hearts  of  men,  and  exercises  such  unresisted  con- 
trol over  the  temper  and  spirit  of  those  who  are 
deceived  by  such  notions,  that  there  appears  but 
one  remedy  ;  and  this  one  must  be  found  in  the  re- 
moving of  those  errors,  by  the  clear  shining  of 
divine  truth  in  the  understanding.  The  particular 
and  most  special  object  of  the  present  discourse  is 
to  contribute,  at  least,  a  humble  attempt  to  remove 
wrong  views  of  God  from  the  mind,  by  showing  that 
all  the  divine  attributes  harmonize  in  love ;  which 
view  of  the  character  of  our  heavenly  Father,seems 
evidently  comprehended  in  the  text  of  which  choice 
has  been  made. 

There  are  but  a  few  passages  of  scripture  which 
speak  in  a  direct  manner  of  what  God  is.  He  is 
called  a  "fountain  of  living  waters"  by  the  Prophet 
Jeremiah.  "  My  people  have  committed  two  evils; 
they  have  forsaken  me,  the  fountain  of  living  wa- 
ters, and  hewed  them  out  cisterns,  broken  cisterns, 
that  can  hold  no  water."  This  is  a  most  striking 
representation  of  true  and  false  religion.  Love  is 
a  fountain  of  Irving  waters.  It  is  a  living  fountain, 
one  that  is  never  dry.  This  is  true  religion ;  it 
has  no  hatred  in  it ;  it  works  no  ill  to  its  neighbor  ; 
it  measures  to  others  what  it  is  willing  to  receive. 
But  false  religion  is  any  thing  and  every  thing 
but  love.  It  is  something  hewed  out ;  that  is,  it  is 
the  work  of  invention  and  art.  The  living  water 
of  divine  love  is  not  in  it.  It  pretends  to  love,  but 
hatred  is  its  most  essential  ingredient.  It  is  based 
on  enmity.  If  we  disallow  enmity,  false  religion 


51 

cries  out,  heresy,  Mie  foundation  of  leligion  is  gone  ! 
— St.  Paul  says  ;V«  Our  God  is  a  consuming  fire" 
Love  is  a  consuming  fire  to  all  the  hay,  wood,  and 
stubble  which  error  has  introduced  into  religion. 
44  Now,  if  any  man  build  upon  this  foundation,  gold, 
silver,  precious  stones,  wood,  hay,  stubble  ;  every 
man's  work  shall  be  made  manifest :  for  the  day  shall 
declare  it,  and  the  fire  shall  try  every  man's  work 
of  what  sort  it  is.  If  any  man's  work  abide  which 
he  hath  built  thereupon,  he  shall  receive  a  reward. 
If  any  man's  work  shall  be  burnt,  he  shall  suffer 
loss  ;  but  he  himself  shall  be  saved  :  Yet  so  as  by 
tire."  The  fire  of  divine  love  seeks  to  consume 
nothing  but  that  which  is  injurious  to  the  sinner, 
who  is  the  object  of  divine  love. 

The  divine  teacher  said  to  the  woman  of  Samaria ; 
"  God  is  a  spirit,  and  seeketh  such  to  worship  him, 
who  worship  him  in  spirit  and  in  truth."  Love  is 
this  spirit  of  God,  and  love  is  the  spirit  in  which 
God  is  truly  worshipped.  "  God  is  love  ;  and  he 
that  dwelleth  in  love  dwelleth  in  God,  and  God  in 
him." 

It  may  tend  to  promote  the  object  in  view  to  men- 
tion a  summary  of  moral  attributes,  and  proceed  to 
notice  them  both  distinctly  and  conjunctively,  by 
which  their  harmony  in  divine  love  may  be  made  to 
appear.  We  read  in  Revelations,  of  the  "  Seven 
spirits  of  God,"  which  we  may  suppose  compre- 
hend the  perfection  of  the  communicable  attributes 
of  the  divine  Being.  Without  any  design  to  be  ar- 
bitrary, we  will  name  seven  moral  attributes  ;  arid 
though  some  may  think  a  less  number  would  com- 
prehend the  whole,  and  others,  that  a  much  greater 
number  should  be  mentioned,  it  seems  safe  to  cal- 
culate that  the  perfect  number,  seven,  was  design- 
ed to  comprehend  the  whole  and  nothing  more. 
— And  if  we  may  be  favored  with  a  view  of  the 
harmony  of  the  seven  which  we  shall  name,  no 


52 

doubt  the  candid  mind  will  be  sat'-fted,  that  if  mor«> 
moral  attributes  could  be  narrud,  they  would  all 
be  found  to  harmonize  in  love. 

The  seven  we  shall  name  are  the  following ; 
Wisdom,  Knowledge,  Power,  Justice,  Truth,  Mer- 
cy,— and  Love  in  which  they  all  harmonize. 

Wisdom  is  that  attribute  of  mind  by  which 
designs  are  drawn  and  plans  are  laid.  It  regards 
things,  circumstances,  causes  and  effects  as  they 
relate  to  each  other.  The  wisdom  of  any  plan  ig 
seen  in  the  co-operation  of  its  several  parts  tending 
efficiently  to  produce  what  the  projector  designs* 
Should  any  part  of  a  plan  fail  of  eventuating  in  the 
object  designed,  that  failure,  were  it  ever  so  small, 
would  prove  a  lack  of  wisdom  in  drawing  the  plan* 

When  we  view  the  visible  objects  of  creation, 
their  existence  seems  to  fill  the  mind  with  admira-* 
tion,  and  as  soon  as  our  thoughts  advance  to  the  corn 
sideration  of  the  regular  motions  of  the  heavenly 
bodies,  wisdom  irresistibly  attracts  our  notice, 
and  seems  to  wake  up  a  spark  of  devotion  to  the 
great  Author  of  the  universe.  Continuing  to  me- 
ditate on  the  order,  regularity,  and  harmony  of  the 
works  of  nature  and  providence  ;  and  to  notice 
the  concatenation  of  causes  and  effects  which  pro- 
duce whatever  is  fit  and  good  in  the  order  and  na- 
ture of  things,  no  language  seems  more  proper 
than  that  of  the  Psalmist  ;  "O  Lord,  how  mani- 
fold are  thy  works !  in  wisdom  hast  thou  made 
them  all." 

Knowledge  is  a  principle  of  intellectual  nature* 
by  which  the  simple  facts  relating1  to  tilings  are 
comprehended  or  Understood.  This  attribute  in 
God  is  an  all-seeing  eye  ;  from  its  pervading  sight 
nothing  can  be  hid.  Known  Unto  God  are  all  his 
works  from  the  foundation  of  the  world. 

Power  in  the  divine  Being  is  that  ability  by 
which  all  the  purposes  of  bje  vast  and  infinite 


scheme  are  carried  into  execution.  "  Who  work- 
eth  all  things  after  the  counsel  of  his  own  will." 

Justice  is  that  attribute  of  God,  by  .which  a  righ- 
teous and  equitable  administration  is  directed  to- 
wards all  moral  accountable  beings  ;  and  by  which, 
every  such  being  receives  a  just  recompense  of  re- 
ward accordingly  as  moral  powers  are  exercised. 
Divine  justice  likewise  requires  that  all  moral  be- 
ings should  act  in  such  a  manner  as  to  discharge 
every  duty  and  obligation  which  the  connections 
and  relations  in  which  they  are  placed  render  ne- 
cessary. "Justice  and  judgment  are  the  habita- 
tion of  his  throne." 

Truth  is  whatever  is  opposed  to  falshood,  and  is 
the  reality  of  all  things,  circumstances  and  events, 
past,  present  and  future.  This  is  forever  with  him 
who  varies  not,  for  "  He  is  the  Rock,  his  work  is 
perfect ;  for  all  his  ways  are  judgment ;  a  God  of 
truth,  arid  without  iniquity,  just  and  right  is  he." 

Mercy  is  that  divine  perfection  of  God  which 
pities  and  relieves  from  sin  and  wretchedness,  those 
who  stand  in  need  of  such  compassion,  "  For  the 
Lord  is  good ;  his  mercy  is  everlasting ;  and  his 
truth  endureth  to  all  generations."  "  According 
to  his  mercy  he  saved  us." 

Love  is  a  property  which  delights  in  an  object, 
carefully  avoids  doing  it  any  harm,  and  uses  all  its 
means  to  administer  good  ;  "  God  is  love." — JXow, 
as  it  is  the  fixed,  unalterable  nature  of  love  to  do 
good  to  all  the  beings  who  are  its  objects,  and  to 
render  them  as  blessed  as  possible  with  the  use  of 
all  the  means  which  love  can  command,  it  is  seen  at 
once,  that  whatever  plans  are  laid  so  as  to  promote 
the  best  interest  of  those  creatures  who  are  the  ob- 
jects of  the  divine  love,  is  in  fact  the  wisdom  of 
God  ;  and  as  those  plans  perfectly  harmonize  with 
the  benevolent  purposes  of  love,  it  is  evident  that 
the  wisdom  which  contrived  them  is  in  perfect  uni- 
son with 


We  here  find  a  fair  opportunity  to  look  into  the 
extent  of  the  goodness  of  God,  and  that  salvation 
which  is  brought  to  man  by  Jesus  Christ,  who  is  said 
to  be  "  The  wisdom  of  God  and  the  power  of  God." 
a  For  God  so  loved  the  world,  that  he  gave  his  only 
begotten  Son,that  whosoever  believeth  in  him  should 
not  perish, but  have  everlasting  life.  ForGod  sent  not 
his  Son  into  the  world  to  condemn  the  world ;  but 
that  the  world  through  him  might  be  saved.*5  God  so 
foved  the  world  that  he  sent  his  own  wisdom  that  the 
world  might  be  saved  by  it.  If  the  wisdom  of  God 
is  not  in  perfect  harmony  with  his  love,  he  surely 
would  not  have  sent  his  wisdom  to  carry  into  effect 
ihe  purposes  of  love.  '*  Herein  is  love,  not  that 
we  loved  God,  but  that  he  loved  us,  and  sent  his  Son 
fo  be  the  propitiation  for  our  sins."  Here  both 
the  object  and  the  means  are  clearly  set  forth,, 
God  loved  us  while  we  did  not  love  him.  In  conse- 
quence of  this  love  he  designed  to  do  us  a  favor. 
The  means  which  he  used  was  to  send  his  Son  to  be 
the  propitiation  for  our  sins.  But  if  by  becoming 
•fhe  propitiation  for  our  sins,  no  benefit,  but  an  in- 
jury should  result  to  those  whom  God  loved,  then 
the  means  would  frustrate  the  object  and  prove  the 
want  of  wisdom  in  the  plan. 

There  is  a  doctrine  in  the  Christian  church,  thai 
contends,  that  millions,  yea  far  the  greatest  part  of 
the  human  family  will  be  infinitely  more  misera- 
ble in  the  eternal  world,  than  they  would  have  been 
if  Jesus  had  never  come  into  the  world  and  died 
for  their  sins.  If  this  doctrine  be  allowed  to  stand 
in  harmony  with  the  wisdom  of  God,  it  must  be 
granted  that  his  wisdom  is  hostile  to  his  love,  for 
a  love  worketh  no  ill."  But  the  divine  testimony 
assures  us,  that  "  God  sent  not  his  Son  into  the 
world  to  condemn  the  world,  but  that  the  world 
through  him  might  be  saved."  If  therefore,  the  world 
er  any  part  of  the  world  should  fail  of  salvation,  and 


55 

be  made  miserable  in  the  future  world  ia  conscr 
quence  of  what  Christ  has  done,  the  thing  for  which 
he  was  sent  not  being  fulfilled,  and  that  'for  which 
he  was  not  sent  being  effected,  proves  the  want  of 
wisdom  in  the  plan. 

How  is  it  possible  for  God  to  exercise  a  wisdom 
which  is  infinite  in  a  way  to  frustrate  the  design  of 
his  own  immutable  love  ?  If  we  examine  ever  so 
minutely  into  the  plans  and  schemes,  the  causes  and 
effects,  the  immense,  the  subtle  and  the  various 
workings  of  divine  providence,  are  we  not  the 
more  convinced  of  the  truth  of  that  ancient  dec- 
laration, "  The  Lord  is  good  unto  all  and  his  tend- 
er mercies  are  over  all  his  works!"  As  a  proof  of 
the  truth  of  this  testimony  the  Prophet  further  ob- 
serves ;  "Thou  openest  thine  hand  and  satisfies! 
the  desire  of  every  living  thing."  This  is  the  way 
by  which  God  makes  himself  known  to  be  good  to 
his  creatures,  that  is,  by  actually  doing  them  good* 
St.  Paul  said,  "  Nevertheless  he  left  not  himself  with- 
out witness,  in  that  he  did  good,  and  gave  us  rain 
from  heaven,  and  fruitful  seasons,  filling  our  hearts 
with  food  and  gladness."  How  immense  are  the 
love,  the  wisdom  and  the  goodness  of  God  which 
are  manifested  continually  in  the  temporal  bounties 
of  his  universal  providence.  Cast  your  eyes  round 
on  every  side,  carefully  inspect  the  condition  of  ev- 
ery living  thing,  and  say  whether  the  wisdom  of 
God  does  not  harmonise  with  universal  love.  And 
yet  the  Apostle  allows  all  this  luminous  evidence 
to  be  no  more  than  twilight  compared  with  the 
more  perfect  display  of  the  divine  goodness  in  the 
dispensation  of  the  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ ;  for  not- 
withstanding the  evidences  of  divine  goodness  which 
were  continually  manifested  in  the  munificent  provi- 
dence of  God,  the  people,  who  were  the  subject? 
of  such  goodness,  were  ignorant  of  him  and  walk-v 
ed  in  their  own  way;  concerning  which  the-  Apos- 


tie  says;  "The  times  of  this  ignorance  God  wink- 
ed at,  but  now  commandeth  all  men  every  where  to 
repent."  This  special  command  to  repent  and 
turn  from  dumb  idols  to  serve  the  living  God,  was 
given  forth  in  the  more  glorious  evidences  of  the 
mercy  and  goodness  of  God  communicated  in  the 
gospel. 

An  attempt  to  illustrate  the  wisdom  which  char- 
acterises the  scheme  of  the  gospel,  and  the  harmo- 
ny of  its  several  parts,  as  set  forth  in  the  scriptures, 
would  be  a  much  more  extensive  undertaking  than 
our  present  limits  would  justify,  if  there  were  no 
want  of  ability  to  do  justice  to  such  a  subject.  Tt 
tnay  therefore  suffice  to  remark,  that  by  a  careful 
attention  to  ancient  promises  and  prophecies  con- 
cerning a  Messiah,  his  appearance  in  the  world,  the 
wonderful  works  wrought  by  his  miraculous  power; 
the  shameful  treatment  which  he  received  among 
men,  his  death,  and  the  manner  of  it,  his  resurrection 
from  the  dead,  the  infallible  proofs  of  the  same, 
his  ascension,  the  gifts  bestowed  on  the  Apostles 
whom  he  appointed  to  promulgate  his  gospel,  and 
the  wonderful  success  which  attended  their  ministry, 
by  which  the  religion  of  Jesus  was  established  on  a 
foundation  which  can  never  be  removed,  we  are 
led  to  say  ;  "  This  is  the  Lord's  doings,  and  it  is 
marvellous  in  our  eyes." 

Who  will  undertake  to  point  out  a  single  item  in 
all  this  vast  scheme  of  infinite  wisdom  which  does 
not  perfectly  harmonise  with  the  love  of  God  to 
mankind.  "God  commendeth  his  love  towards  us, 
in  that  while  we  were  yet  sinners,  Christ  died  for 
us."  "  We  preach  Christ  crucified,  to  the  Jews  a 
stumbling-block,  and  to  the  Greeks  foolishness ; 
but  unto  them  who  are  called  both  Jews  and 
Greeks,  Christ  the  wisdom  of  God  and  the  power 
of  God."  This  is  that  "  wisdom  that  is  from  above, 
which  is  first  pure,  then  peaceable,  gentle,  and  easy 


57 

to  be  entreated,  full  of  mercy  and  good  fruits,  with* 
out  partiality  and  without  hypocrisy."  This  is  that 
wisdom  which  was  with  the  Almighty  when  he  cre- 
ated all  things,  "  rejoicing  always  before  him ;  re- 
joicing in  the  habitable  part  of  his  earth,  and  whoso 
delights  were  with  the  sons  of  men." 

That  the  divine  knowledge  is  in  perfect  unison 
with  the  love  of  God  to  his  creatures,  we  must 
grant  for  many  reasons,  some  of  which  are  the  fol- 
lowing. 

First,  That  we  may  avoid  introducing  imperfec- 
tion into  the  divine  nature,  which  is  nothing  short 
of  idolatry.  Whenever  a  desire  to  do  good  is  in 
exercise,  and  the  person  who  possesses  this  desire 
knows  for  certainty,  that  this  desire  can  never  be 
realised  or  accomplished,  there  is  proof  positive  of 
imperfection. 

Secondly,  That  we  may  avoid  introducing  infeli- 
city into  the  divine  Being.  For  if  his  universal 
unchangeable  love  run  in  one  straight  line,  and  his 
infallible  knowledge  disagree  with  it,  we  must  al- 
low that  this  disagreement  produces  an  infelicity 
whose  magnitude  corresponds  with  the  greatness 
of  those  infinite,  discordant  attributes !  Whoever 
possesses  love  which  inclines  the  agent  to  do  good 
to  another,  and  knows  at  the  same  time  that  this 
will  never  be  effected,  must,  in  the  nature  of  things, 
be  unhappy  to  a  degree  which  corresponds  with  the 
force  of  this  forever  unsatisfied  desire. 

Thirdly,  That  we  may  avoid  charging  God  with 
folly,  which  we  should  most  surely  do  if  we  sup- 
pose that  in  consequence  of  his  love  to  the  world 
he  sent  his  Son  to  save  the  world,  when  at  the  same 
time  he  knew  that  this  salvation  would  not  be  jef- 
fected.  Should  a  parent  who  ^tenderly  loves  his 
child  see  it  in  distress,  no  doubt  he  would  try  all 
means  which  should  appear  at  all  favorable  to  re- 
lieve it ;  but,  while  he  had  reason,  he  would  never 
8 


58 

make  use  of  means  which  he  knew  would,  in  the 
room  of  relieving  from  distress,  increase  it  seven 
fold.  The  divine  testimony  says  ;  "  God  will  have 
all  men  to  be  saved,"  and  that  as  a  mean  of  this 
salvation,  the  one  Mediator  "  gave  himself  a  ransom 
for  all."  Now  if  we  allow  that  the  divine  knowl- 
edge comprehended  the  fact  that  all  men  will  not 
be  saved,  we  surely  charge  God  with  the  folly  of 
using  means  to  effect  what  he  knew  would  not  be 
effected.  There  are  among  men,  many  who  are 
called  learned,  and  many  who  are  unlearned,  who 
are  fully  persuaded,  that  all  the  means  which  our 
heavenly  Father  h^<  seen  fit  to  employ  for  the 
purpose  of  saving  sinners,  will  in  the  most  of  in- 
stances forever  fail  of  their  designed  utility.  But 
have  we  not  every  good  reason  for  believing,  that 
if  the  divine  Being  had  been  fully  persuaded  of 
this,  he  never  would  have  used  those  abortive 
means  ?  In  order  to  avoid  an  endless  series  of  in- 
consistencies we  are  compelled  to  acknowledge  a 
plain  simple  truth,  that  the  infinite  knowledge  of 
God  is  in  perfect  harmony  with  his  boundless  un- 
changeable love,  which  constitutes  him  infinitely 
and  consummately  happy  ;  and  lays  a  foundation  on 
which  the  human  mind  may  rest  and  enjoy  the 
sweetest  possible  repose.  How  often  is  it  the  case, 
that  we  are  called  to  witness  and  to  pass  through 
dark  scenes  of  trial  in  which  our  weak  discernment 
can  see  no  utility,  and  we  are  pining  with  des- 
pair, and  sayjng  "  all  these  things  are  against  me  ;" 
but  how  divinely  comforting  is  the  thought  so  hap- 
pily expressed  by  the  Poet ; 

"  The  clouds  you  so  much  dread 
Are  big  with  mercy,  and  will  break 
In  blessings  on  .your  head  ; 
Judge  not  the  Lord  by  feeble  sense", 
But  trust  him  for  his  grace  ; 
Behind  a  frowning   providence, 
H6  hides  his  smiling  iace." 


That  the  diviri^F  power  ever  moves  according  to 
the  directions  of  the  love  of  God,  there  is  no  room 
to  doubt.  Power  without  will  to  put  it  in  motion 
and  direct  it,  is  dormant  and  effects  nothing.  And 
as  it  is  evident,  that  God  cannot  will  contrary  to  his 
nature  which  is  love,  so  it  is  equally  evident  that 
his  power  never  effects  any  thing  which  his  love 
does  not  desire.  That  Almighty  Power  which  con- 
trols all  worlds,  all  beings,  and  all  elements,  moves 
only  as  it  is  directed  by  the  gentle,  kind,  and  mer- 
ciful principles  of  divine  love. 

The  divine  attribute  which  the  sensual,  partial 
wisdom  of  this  world  has  armed  with  principles 
hostile  to  love,  is  justice.  Justice  has  been  held  up 
as  an  unmerciful  foe  to  the  transgressor,  knowing 
no  favor,  but  demanding  the  everlasting  destruc- 
tion of  all  who  come  short  of  obedience.  If  we 
allow  this  sentiment  concerning  the  demands  of  di- 
vine justice,  is  it  not  evident  that  justice  is  opposed 
to  love  in  such  demands  ?  This  cannot  be  denied. 
Those  who  hold  the  opinion  that  sinners  must  be 
punished  everlastingly  in  the  future  state,  never  un- 
dertake to  prove  such  an  opinion  by  arguing  that 
sinners  are  the  objects  of  divine  love.  But  justice 
is  always  referred  to  as  the  attribute  which  is  op- 
posed to  the  sinner's  salvation.  Now  if  justice  and 
love  are  opposed  to  each  other  in  God,  does  not 
this  constitute  transgression  ?  "  Sin  is  the  transgres- 
sion of  the  law,"  justice  is  the  law  ;  and  if  love  be 
opposed  to  justice,  it  is  opposed  to  the  law,  and 
transgresses  the  law !  But  St.  Paul  says  ;  "  love 
worketh  no  ill  to  his  neighbor  ;  therefore  love  is 
the  fulfilling  of  the  law."  If  love  fulfils  the  law,  it 
certainly  is  not  opposed  to  justice. 

We  will  for  a  few  minutes,  attempt  to  examine 
divine  justice,  both  as  to  its  requirements  in  ita  pre- 
cepts, and  in  its  administration  of  punishments ; 
and  carefully  compare  with  the  dictates  of  divine 


60 

love,  in  order  to  see  if  there  be  «ny  disagreement. 
What  then  does  the  divine  law  require  ?  The  bles- 
sed Saviour  explains  the  law  as  follows  ;  "  Thou 
shalt  love  the  Lord  thy  God  with  all  thy  heart,  and 
with  all  thy  soul,  and  with  all  thy  mind.  This  is 
the  first  and  great  commandment.  And  the  second 
is  like  unto  it,  thou  shalt  love  thy  neighbor  as 
thyself.  On  these  two  commandments  hang  all 
the  law  and  the  prophets."  This  is  what  divine  jus- 
tice demands  of  all  men  ;  this  is  the  whole  law,  as 
saith  the  Apostle  ;  "  All  the  law  is  fulfilled  in 
one  word,  even  in  this,  thou  shalt  love  thy  neigh- 
bor as  thyself."  Now  compare  this  divine  requi- 
sition with  what  love  requires.  Love  most  surely 
cannot  require  any  thing  short  of  itself.  If  one 
person  love  another  sincerely,  can  any  thing  short 
of  love  in  return  give  satisfaction  ?  The  parents  of 
a  family  of  children  love  their  offspring  most  af- 
fectionately ;  this  love  is  commended  to  the  chil- 
dren by  a  thousand  favors,  varied  according  to 
their  wants.  Now  what  does  this  love  require  in 
return  ?  It  requires  the  children  to  love  their  par- 
ents. The  Apostle  says;  "We  love  him,  because 
he  first  loved  us."  Nothing  will  answer  as  a  sub- 
stitute for  love.  If  the  children  attend  ever  so 
punctually  to  the  performance  of  every  duty  en- 
joined in  Uhe  precepts  of  the  parents,  if  love  be 
wanting,  all  is  unsavory.  Love  is  the  salt  that  must 
season  every  performance  in  order  to  render  it  ac- 
ceptable. St.  Paul  must  have  had  this  view  of  our 
subject  when  he  wrote  the  following  ;  "  Though  I 
speak  with  the  tongues  of  men  and  of  Angels,  and 
have  not  charity,  (the  same  with  love)  I  am  become 
as  sounding  brass,  or  a  tinkling  cymbal.  And 
though  I  have  the  gift  of  prophecy,  and  under- 
stand a)l  mysteries,  and  all  knowledge  ;  and  though 
I  have  all  faith  so  that  I  could  remove  mountains 
have  not  charity,  I  am  nothing.  And  though 


a-i 

I  bestow  all  ray  goods  to  feed  the  poor,  and  though 
I  give  my  body  to  be  burned,  and  have  not  charity, 
it  profiteth  me  nothing."  And  I  think  we  may 
say  according  to  divine  truth,  that,  that  sort  oC 
justice  which  is  destitute  of  love,  is  as  sounding 
brass  or  a  tinkling  cymbal ;  it  has  sounded  through 
all  Christendom  and  tinkled  in  all  our  ears.  And 
as  it  is  destitute  of  love  itself,  so  it  has  produced 
none  in  its  votaries. 

Now  as  we  have  seen  that  justice  and  love 'are 
united  in  their  requirements,  it  may  add  no  little 
strength  to  the  evidence  already  adduced  to  look 
at  the  principle  on  which  they  urge  their  united 
claim. 

In  order  for  any  demand  to  be  just,  it  must  be 
founded  on  a  reasonable  principle.  So  if  justice 
arid  love  demand  of  us,  that  we  love  God,  and  one 
another,  it  is  proper  to  ascertain  the  principle  on 
which  the  propriety  of  this  demand  is  seen.  Love 
and  hatred  are  what  we  are  necessaiily  inclined  to; 
and  we  are  necessarily  inclined  to  love  that  which 
is  agreeable  to  us,  and  to  hate  what  is  otherwise, 
It  would  then  be  a  most  unreasonable  thing  to  re- 
quire us  to  love  what  is  not  lovely,  and  to  hate 
what  is  not  hateful.  If  then  we  are  required  to 
love  God,  it  is  because  he  is  lovely,  if  rightly  un- 
derstood. If  there  were  any  quality  in  the  divine 
Being  which  is  opposed  to  our  well  being,  it  is  a 
most  unreasonable  thing  to  require  us  to  love  that 
quality.  The  result  then  of  this  part  of  the  enqui- 
ry is  this,  namely,  justice  and  love  both  agree  in 
requiring  us  to  love  that  which  is  altogether  for 
our  own  profit,  and  it  is  not  in  the  nature  of  either 
to  require  us  to  love  any  object  beyond  our  inter- 
est, I  will  not  say  that  this  may  not  be  considered 
rather  a  new  kind  of  argument ;  but  even  if  it  is, 
this  circumstance  ought,  by  no  means,  to  be  urged 
against  the  propriety  of  it ;  it  may  be  urged  as  a 


62 

proper  occasion  for  carefully  examining  it.  If  it  be 
necessary  to  make  it  still  more  evident,  we  may  ask, 
what  or  whose  interest  is  to  be  served  by  our  lov- 
ing that  which  is  of  no  benefit  to  ourselves  ?  No  one 
will  be  so  erroneous  as  to  contend  that  any  benefit 
can  result  to  the  divine  Being  from  our  love  to  him; 
and  certainly  not  from  our  loving  him  beyond  our 
interest  in  him,  as  it  will,  at  once,  be  allowed,  that 
it  is  impossible  to  love  him  more  than  we  are  bene- 
iitted  by  him.  This  argument  holds  equally  good 
as  it  applies  to  any  one,  or  all  of  the  divine  attri- 
butes. We  cannot  love  wisdom,  knowledge,  pow- 
er, justice,  truth,  mercy  or  love,  to  a  greater  de- 
gree than  we  are  benefit  led  by  these  divine  principles. 
As  we  have  enjoyed  the  satisfaction  of  seeing 
a  perfect  agreement  in  the  preceptive  requirements 
of  divine  love  and  justice,  it  will  now  increase  our 
rational  felicity  if  we  can  see  these  divine  attri- 
butes equally  harmonise  in  retributive  requisitions. 
But  as  this  argument  has  been  instituted  for  the  pur- 
pose of  showing  that  divine  justice  does  not  op- 
pose the  sinner's  salvation,  we  may  confine  our 
present  remarks  to  punitive  requirements.  The 
subject  now  to  be  determined  is,  what  kind  of  pun- 
ishment does  divine  justice  require  to  be  inflicted 
on  the  transgressor  for  his  offences,  for  what*  pur- 
pose, and  to  what  extent?  Answer :  As  it  is  not  in  the 
nature  of  divine  justice  to  do  any  thing  to  prevent 
its  own  precepts  from  being  obeyed,  it  can  never 
punish  the  sinner  in  any  way  to  prevent  his  final 
obedience ;  but  on  the  other  hand,  it  keeping  an  eye 
directly  on  the  original  object  embraced  in  the 
very  design  of  the  precept,  awards  that  kind  of  pun- 
ishment which  is  best  calculated  to  work  repentance 
and  reformation,  which  is  the  object  of  punishment, 
and  administers  it  until  the  desired  effect  is  produ- 
ced. It  seems  impossible  to  extend  punishment  any 
Further,  unless  we  arm  it  with  weapons  hostile  to  its 


6? 

.own  requirements.  That  tke  hearer  Bray  see  this 
subject,  if  possible,  still  plainer,  we  will  ask,  for 
what  possible  purpose  can  justice  require  any  pun- 
ishment to  be  inflicted  on  the  sinner  that  does  not 
tend  to  the  sinner's  benefit  ?  As  no  one's  interest  is 
the  object  of  the  precept,  except  those  on  whom  it 
is  binding,  why  should  the  punishment  for  disobe- 
dience seek  any  other  interest  than  that  which  is 
aimed  at  by  the  precept  ?  I  know  it  is  said  that  it  is 
necessary  to  punish  an  offender,as  a  terror  to  others, 
to  prevent  their  committing  offences.  But  if  this 
be  allowed,  in  room  of  its  making  at  all  against  our 
argument,  it  goes  directly  to  establish  it ;  therefore 
it  is  admitted. 

Do  you  ask  how  this  is  ?  Answer :  If  it  be  right 
and  reasonable  to  punish  an  offender  for  the  bene- 
fit of  others,  it  supposes  a  common  interest  exists 
between  the  one  punished  and  those  for  whose  ben- 
efit we  say  the  punishment  is  inflicted.  This  being 
the  principle  on  which  the  punishment  is  adminis- 
tered, it  cannot  be  inflicted  beyond  the  limits  of  this 
common  interest. 

If  we  are  correct  in  this  reasoning,  we  have  the 
increased  felicity  sought,  for  it  will  be  seen  at  once 
that  divine  love  as  much  requires  this  punishment 
as  justice  does ;  for  love  cannot  require  less  than 
that  which  is  for  the  good  of  its  object.  O  the 
beauty  !  The  glory  of  the  scene  which  here  opens 
on  our  wondering  eyes  !  Divine  truth,  a  golden 
line,  appears  lovely  beyond  description,  and  mercy 
lies  parallel  from  the  beginning  to  the  end. 

To  conclude  ;  The  imperfect  view  we  have  been 
able  to  take  of  the  immense  subject  of  this  dis- 
course, seems  amply  sufficient  to  give  elevated 
thoughts  of  the  divine  character,  thoughts  calcula- 
ted to  raise  our  affections  from  every  meaner  object, 
and  place  them  on  God.  With  what  gratitude  do  we 
turn  our  eyes  towards  heaven,  and  realize  thatGojt! 


64 

is  love,  is  our  Father;  That  all  his  infinitely' 
glorious  attributes  harmonise  in  love  ;  that  they 
all  work  in  unison,  aiming  at  the  highest  possible 
improvement  and  felicity  of  all  moral  beings. 
With  what  pleasing  reflections  do  we  behold  each 
ether.  Children  of  the  same  Father,  heirs  of  the 
same  inheritance,  pilgrims  on  the  same  journey,  arid 
bound  to  the  same  eternal  home. 

How  reasonable  it  is  that  we  should  love,  sincere- 
ly love  the  God  of  love.  How  reasonable  is  it  that 
we  should  love  one  another.  Our  pretensions  to  re- 
Egion,  without  love,  are  but  frauds  practised  on  our- 
selves. "  He  that  loveth  not  his  brother  whom  he 
hath  seen,  how  can  he  love  God  whom  he  hath 
not  seen  ?"  Love  is  a  "  fountain  of  living  waters,  a 
place  of  broad  rivers  and  streams,"  to  which  we  are 
invited  in  the  following  divine  language,  with 
which  I  close  ;"  Ho,  every  one  that  thirsteth,  come 
ye  to  the  waters,  and  he  that  hath  no  money  :  come 
ye,  buy  and  eat ;  yea,  come,  buy  wine  and  milk 
without  money  and  without  price.  Jn  the  the  last 
day,  that  great  day  of  the  feast,  Jesus  stood  and 
cried,  saying,  if  any  man  thirst,  let  him  come  unto 
me  and  drink." 


.,.;"'       No.  5.         ^C'-'t 

LECTURE  SERMON, 

DELIVERED  AT  THE 

SECOND  UNIVERSALIST  MEETING,  IN  BOSTON, 
SEPTEMBER  27,  1818. 


BY  HOSEA  BALLOU,  PASTOR. 


Published  Semi-Monthlj,  by  Henry  Bowen,  Devonshire-street. 

ROMANS,  Vin.  20. 

"  For  the  creature  was  made  subject  to  vanity,  not  willingly,  but  by  reason 
of  him  who  hath  subjected  the  tame  in  hope." 

BY  creature  in  our  text,  the  Apostle  evidently 
means  the  same  as  he  does  by  the  "  whole  creation" 
in  the  22d  verse.  In  this  connection  the  whole 
created  humanity  is  three  times  called  "  the  crea- 
ture ;"  and  once,  "  the  whole  creation."  The  sub- 
ject of  the  Apostle's  labour  in  the  place  where  our 
text  is  found,  seems  to  be  that  of  presenting  to 
view  one  of  the  most  pleasin  g,  consoling,  and  en- 
couraging subjects,  on  which  he  delighted  to  dwell. 
In  the  16th  verse  he  notices  the  testimony  of  the 
divine  Spirit,  that  we  are  the  children  of  God. 
From  this  he  proceeds  to  show  our  heirahip  in  God, 
and  our  joint  heirship  with  Christ.  The  consider- 
ation of  the  infinite  riches  and  glory  to  which  man- 
kind is  entitled,  seemed  to  call  into  notice  the  pre- 
sent state  of  suffering  to  which  man  is  subjected  in 
this  mortal  life  ;  concerning  which  he  speaks  as  fol- 
lows ;  "  For  I  reckon,  that  the  sufferings  of  this 
present  time  are  not  worthy  to  be  compared  with 
the  glory  which  shall  be  revealed  in  us.  For 
9 


66 

earnest  expectation  of  the  creature  waiteth  For  th* 
manifestation  of  the  sons  of  God.  For  the  creature 
was  made  subject  to  vanity,  not  willingly,  but  by 
reason  of  him  who  hath  subjected  the  same  in  hope  ; 
because  the  creature  itself  also  shall  be  delivered 
from  the  bondage  of  corruption  into  the  glorious 
liberty  of  the  children  of  God.  For  we  know  that 
the  whole  creation  groaneth  and  travaileth  in  pain 
together  until  now  ;  and  not  only  they,  but  our- 
selves also,  which  have  the  first-fruits  of  the  Spirit, 
even  we  ourselves  groan  within  ourselves,  waiting 
for  the  adoption,  to  wit,  the  redemption  of  our 
body."  By  our  body  the  author  means  the  same 
as  he  does  by  creature,  and  by  the  whole  creation. 
Believers,  wrho  have  the  first  fruits  of  the  spirit  are 
distinguished  in  the  foregoing  quotation  from  the 
rest  of  the  one  body,  called  the  creature  and  the 
whole  creation,  but  in  such  a  way  as  to  show  that 
they  were  in  the  same  condition  with  the  rest, 
groaning  and  waiting  for  the  adoption,  to  wit,  the 
redemption  of  the  whole  body.  And  it  is  worthy 
of  special  notice,  that  by  first  fruits  of  the  spirit, 
the  Apostle  evidently  intimates  that  the  redemp- 
tion of  the  whole  creature  which  was  made  subject 
to  vanity  was  considered  as  the  whole  or  general 
harvest.  As  under  the  law  a  few  only  partook  of 
the  first  fruits,  but  all  were  fed  of  the  general 
harvest ;  so  but  a  few  seem  to  be  partakers  of  the 
first  fruits  of  the  spirit,  while  the  whole  human 
family  is  entitled  to  the  redemption  of  our  body. 

The  vanity  to  which  the  creature  was  made  sub- 
ject may  comprehend  all  the  imperfections  incident 
to  our  mortal  state,  but  especially  and  particularly 
the  sufferings  which  the  author  mentioned  in  the 
context.  He  was  not  made  subject  to  vanity  on 
account  of  his  own  will,  for  he  could  have  had  no 
will  until  he  was  created  ;  but  he  was  made  subject 
to  vanity  by  reason  of  him  who  subjected  him  in 


C7 

hope.  The  opinion,  therefore,  that  man  was  conr 
atituted  in  flesh  and  blood,  first  a  perfectly  holy  be- 
ing, but  was  made  subject  to  vanity  by  sin,  is  as 
contrary  to  the  plain  declaration  of  our  text  as  it  is 
repugnant  to  the  dictates  of  reason. 

We  shall  now  proceed  to  examine  the  common 
doctrine  called  the  Jail  of  man,  and  to  show  the 
want  of  both  scripture  and  reason  for  its  support. 
Such  language  as  the  following  ;  "  before  the  fall, 
since  the  fall,  the  fall  of  man,  in  Adam's  fall  we 
sinned  all,"  is-  common  among  Christian  people, 
and  is  so  much  used  by  authors  and  preachers  that 
people  in  general  suppose  it  to  be  Bible  language, 
and  feel  confident  that  the  scriptures  justify  such 
representations.  But  notwithstanding  all  that  has 
been  written  and  spoken  on  this  subject,  and  with- 
out calling  the  sincerity  of  any  in  question,  it  seems 
necessary  to  inform  the  hearer  that  no  such  Ian- 
guage  was  ever  used  by  the  lawgiver  of  Israel, 
the  prophets  who  spake  as  they  were  moved  by 
the  Holy  Ghost,  the  Lord  Jesus,  or  his  Apostles. 
We  read  nothing  in  the  scriptures  of  Adam's  falling 
from  the  state  in  which  he  was  created,  no  more 
than  we  read  of  Cain's  falling  from  the  state  in 
which  he  was  created.  We  are  informed  that 
Adam  eat  of  the  forbidden  fruit,  and  we  are  in- 
formed that  Cain  slew  his  brother,  but  we  are  not 
told  that  they  did  these  things  in  one  constitution 
of  nature,  and  fell  into  another  constitution  by 
so  doing.  If  Adam  had  not  been  constituted 
in  an  imperfect  state  how  could  he  have  sinned  in 
1hat  state  ?  It  is  not  supposed  that  Adam  fell  out 
of  the  state  in  which  he  was  created  before  he 
sinned,  therefore  he  must  have  sinned  in  the  state 
in  which  he  was  formed  of  the  dust  of  the 
ground.  If  he  sinned  in  the  state  in  which  he 
was  first  formed,  then  it  is  evident  that  he  wai 
possessed  ft?  no  perfection  or  holiness  that  secur- 


68 

cd  him  against  sin.  What  alteration  was  there 
effected  in  the  constitution  of  Adam  by  what  is  cal- 
led the  fall?  It  seems  according  to  the  account  given 
in  Genesis,  that  Adam  was  not  very  dissimilar  to 
men  in  all  ages  of  the  world  ;  he  was  led  into  sin  by 
his  companion.  She  who  was  formed  and  given 
to  Adam  for  a  help-meet  was  the  means  of  leading 
him  into  sin  ;  and  how  many  thousands  in  all  ages 
of  the  world  have  been  led  into  sin  by  this  kind 
blessing  of  heaven  !  Nor  does  it  appear  from  anj 
account  we  have  in  scripture,  that  Adam  was  any 
more  inflexible  than  his  posterity  in  general.  We 
have  no  account  of  his  withstanding  strong  tempta- 
tions for  a  long  time  ;  it  seems  the  first  temptation 
was  successful.  If  we  should  carefully  compare 
the  conduct  of  Adam  with  what  we  read  of  Joseph, 
candor  would  conclude  at  once  in  favor  of  the  lat- 
ter. The  former  did  sin,  but  Joseph  did  not.  But 
here  we  should  do  great  injustice  if  we  should  con- 
tend that  there  was  such  a  difference  in  the  con- 
stitutions of  the  two  as  to  produce  the  difference 
which  appears  in  their  conduct ;  for  this  difference 
might  have  arisen  from  circumstances  distinct  from 
natural  constitution. 

The  common  doctrine  on  the  subject  of  this  in- 
quiry supposes  that  there  was  a  real  change  pro- 
duced in  man's  very  nature  by  the  first  transgres- 
sion ;  and  such  a  change  too,  as  to  render  the  crea- 
ture radically  sinful  and  totally  inclined  to  sin. 
But  we  read  no  such  account  where  those  things 
are  particularly  recorded.  So  far  from  any  thing 
of  this  kind,  we  are  not  informed  that  either  Adam 
or  Eve  ever  committed  a  second  crime.  The 
faithful  word  informs  us  that  these  first  parents  of 
mankind  lived  a  long  time  after  eating  of  the  for- 
bidden fruit,  but  we  hear  nothing  of  their  living 
vicious  lives.  The  second  sin  of  which  we  read  is 
the  murder  of  Abel,  and  this  crime  was  so  heinou= 


69 

even  in  the  mind  of  Cain,  that  he  thought  he  should 
have  to  die  by  the  hand  of  some  avenger.  If  man's 
very  nature  was  so  changed  by  Adam's  sin  as  com- 
mon opinion  supposes,  why  have  we  no  account  of 
Adam's  wicked  life  and  of  Eve's  abominations? 
Why  is  there  no  mention  made  of  the  wickedness 
of  Abel  ?  Did  not  Abel  partake  of  this  fall  ?  Or 
was  it  in  Adam's  power  to  communicate,  or  not 
communicate  this  sinful  nature  by  procreation  ? 
The  fact  is  we  have  no  authority  for  this  doctrine 
which  is  called  the  fall. 

The  most  extravagant  part  of  the  common  doc- 
trine of  the  first  transgressor  and  its  consequences, 
relates  to  the  means  by  which  Eve  was  beguiled. 
So  immaculate  and  holy  were  our  first  parents, 
that  had  it  not  been  for  the  beguiling  acts  of  a  su- 
perior being,  says  common  doctrine,  Eve  could 
never  have  been  tempted  with  success.  This  pre- 
sumed, the  next  thing  is  to  fabricate  a  story  about 
a  fallen  Angel  who  was  once  for  glory  and  beauty 
the  morning  star  of  heaven ,  but  who  by  rebellion 
fell  from  the  state  in  which  he  was  created,  and 
was  consigned  to  the  burning  lake  for  the  punish- 
ment of  his  sin.  This  prince  of  devils,  it  is  believ- 
ed, assumed  the  body  of  a  serpent  and  persuaded 
her  to  believe  that  she  could  better  her  condition 
by  disobeying  her  Maker.  Milton  has  told  this 
story  in  such  a  fanciful  manner,  that  the  sentiment 
lias  been  incorporated  into  the  Christian  faith  so  that 
a  denial  of  it  is  the  same  as  a  denial  of  the  whole 
Christian  doctrine,  in  the  opinion  which  we  are  ex- 


amining. 


Now  if  this  notion  of  a  fallen  Angel  &c.  be  a  fact, 
why  are  the  scriptures  silent  on  the  subject  ?  Where 
we  read  in  Genesis  of  the  serpent  tempting  Eve, 
there  is  nothing  said  concerning  a  fallen  Angel 
called  the  devil.  But  let  us  ask  how  this  Angel 


70 

€»ame  to  sin.  It  is  contended  that  Eve  was  so  per- 
fect that  she  never  would  have  sinned  unless  she 
had  been  beguiled  by  a  superior  mind.  •  Now  if 
this  were  the  case  how  shall  we  account  for  the  sin 
of  the  Angel  who  fell  and  became  a  devil?  Was 
he  less  holy  before  he  sinned,  than  our  first  par- 
ents ?  If  he  could  sin  without  a  tempter,  why  could 
not  man  sin  without  a  tempter  ?  It  must  be  allow- 
ed that  this  Angel  Finned  on  account  of  imperfec- 
tion in  his  nature,  without  a  tempter,  or  it  must  be 
granted  that  he  had  one  to  tempt  him.  But  whether 
he  was  tempted  by  some  other  being,  or  by  reason 
of  his  constitutional  infirmity,  both  alike  prove  his 
imperfection  ;  for  if  he  had  been  perfect,  tempta- 
tions could  not  have  risen  from  within  him,  nor 
from  without  could  they  have  had  any  power  up- 
on him.  This  is  equally  applicable  to  man.  He 
must  have  been  imperfect,  and  subject  to  vanity 
or  he  could  not  have  been  led  into  sin  by  tempta- 
tions from  within  or  from  without. 

The  hearer  will  easily  perceive  that  there  is  no 
other  way  to  account  for  the  first  transgression  than 
by  admitting  a  constitutional  imperfection,  in  the 
agent  ;  he  will  furthermore  see  that  a  sinful  being 
can  have  no  power  to  lead  one  who  is  perfect  in 
holiness  into  transgression  ;  all  beings,  therefore, 
who  are  sinful  must  have  been  made  subject  to  van- 
ity, which  is  the  state  in  which  man  stood  when 
formed  of  the  dust  of  the  ground,  and  according  to 
the  Apostle's  testimony  in  our  text. 

As  it  seems  impossible  to  avoid  this  conclusion 
concerning  the  imperfect  state  of  man  in  the  be- 
ginning, we  shall  consent,  at  once,  to  the  idea  in 
our  text,  that  i lie  creature  was  made  subject  to 
vanity,  not  because  of  his  own  will,  but  by  reason 
of  the  will  of  his  Maker,  who  saw  fit,  in  his  infinite 
tvisdom  arid  goodness,  to  subject  the  creature  to  all 


71 

the  vanity  of  this  mortal  state  in  hope  ©f  a  better 
and  more  perfect  state  hereafter. 

Let  us,  in  the  next  place,  proceed  to  examine 
the  account  which  inspiration  has  given  of  the  first 
temptation  and  sin  ;  and  let  us  do  this  with  honest 
and  candid  minds,  with  a  determination  to  be  satis- 
fied with  the  scripture  account. 

"  Now  the  serpent  was  more  subtle  than  any 
beast  of  the  field  which  the  Lord  God  had  made, 
and  he  said  unto  the  woman,  yea,  hath  God  said  ye 
shall  not  eat  of  every  tree  of  the  garden  ?"  To  this 
question  the  woman  returned  the  true  answer,  to 
which  the  serpent  replied  ;  "  Ye  shall  not  surely 
die.  For  God  doth  know,  that  in  the  day  ye  eat 
thereof,  then  your  eyes  shall  be  opened  ;  and  ye 
shall  be  as  gods,  knowing  good  and  evil.'*  Here 
is  the  whole  account  of  the  first  temptation.  And 
here  let  the  question  be  honestly  and  candidly  ex- 
amined, (viz.)  What  is  there  in  this  account  about 
an  Angel's  falling  from  heaven  to  hell,  and  coming 
from  hell  to  the  earth,  and  of  his  tempting  Eve  ? 
Surely  there  is  not  a  word  that  so'  much  as  inti- 
mates any  thing  on  the  subject.  But  it  is  contend- 
ed, that  the  serpent  could  not  have  tempted  Eve, 
if  some  evil  agent  had  not  been  in  him  and  moved 
him  to  perform  so  crafty  a  work.  Why  then  does 
the  account  say  that  the  serpent  was  more  subtle 
than  any  beast  of  the  field  ?  If  the  temptation  was 
the  craftiness  of  some  other  creature,  and  not  the 
subtlety  of  the  serpent,  it  was  deficient  from  the 
scripture  representation,  which  suggests  no  other 
subtlety  in  the  case  than  ihat  of  the  serpent. 
Moreover,  if  it  had  been  some  invisible  agent,  who, 
entering  into  the  serpent,  wrought  the  temptation 
in  question,  it  was  that  invisible  agent,  and  not  the 
serpent  that  was  the  tempter,  and  ought  to  have 
been  the  subject  of  the  malediction  which  was  pro- 
nounced on  the  serpent*  «  And  the  Lord  God 


72 

said  unto  the  serpent,  because  thou  hast  dond  this, 
thou  art  cursed  above  all  cattle,  and  above  every 
beast  of  the  field  :  upon  thy  belly  shalt  thou  go, 
and  dust  shalt  thou  eat  all  the  days  of  thy  life. 
And  I  will  put  enmity  between  thee  and  the  wo- 
man, and  between  thy  seed  and  her  seed  ;  it  shall 
bruise  thy  head,  and  thou  shalt  bruise  his  heel." 
All  this  was  said  to  the  serpent,  but  there  was 
nothing  said  to  that  abominable  wicked  Angel  that 
sinned  in  heaven,  and  who  was  banished  to  hell  for 
his  sin,  and  from  hell  came  to  this  earth  and  tempt- 
ed Eve  ! 

By  this  time  the  hearer  will  ask  if  the  speaker 
really  supposes  that  a  literal  serpent  did  actually 
talk  to  the  woman  and  influence  her  to  eat  of  a 
forbidden  fruit  ?  No,  he  does  not.  He  humbly 
conceives  that  this  account  is  given  in  a  scriptural 
allegory,  which  may  all  be  explained  by  a  little  at- 
tention to  the  scriptures.  In  scripture,  the  serpent 
is  a  hieroglyphic  of  wisdom. — Jesus  commaiided 
his  disciples  to  be  wise  as  serpents.  As  there  are 
two  sorts  of  wisdom  mentioned  in  scripture,  so  they 
are  represented  by  two  kinds  of  serpents.  The 
Apostle  James  speaks  of  wisdom  as  follows ;  "  Who 
is  a  wise  man,  and  endued  with  knowledge  among 
you  ?  Let  him  shew,  out  of  a  good  conversation,  his 
works  with  meekness  and  wisdom.  But  if  ye  have 
bitter  envy  and  strife  in  your  hearts,  glory  not,  and 
be  not  against  the  truth.  This  wisdom  descendeth 
not  from  above,  but  is  earthly,  sensual,  devilish. 
For  where  envying  and  strife  is,  there  is  confusion, 
and  every  evil  work.  -'But  the  wisdom  that  is  from 
above  is  first  pure,  then  peaceable,  gentle,  and  easy 
to  be  entreated,  full  of  mercy  and  good  fruits,  with- 
out partiality  and  without  hypocrisy." 

The  wisdom  of  God  is  represented  by  the  rod  of 
Moses  which  became  a  serpent ;  and  the  wisdom  of 
this  world  which  cometh  to  naught,  is  represented 


73 

by  the  rods  of  the  wise  men  and  sorcerers  of  Egypt, 
which  likewise  became  serpents.  The  superiority 
of  the  wisdom  of  God  over  the  wisdom  of  the  flesh 
is  represented  by  Aaron's  rod's  swallowing  up  the 
magicians'  rods.  Another  representation  of  these 
two  wisdoms  we  have  in  the  account  given  of  the 
fiery  serpents  that  bit  and  destroyed  the  Israelites 
in  the  wilderness,  and  that  brazen  serpent  which 
Moses  made  by  the  special  command  of  God, 
whose  virtues  were  a  sovereign  cure  for  the  deadly 
stings  of  the  fiery  serpents.  These  fiery  serpents 
represent  the  wisdom  of  this  world,- and  the  evil  ef- 
fects of  their  bite  area  very  just  representation  of 
the  evil  effects  of  false  religion.  And  our  blessed 
Saviour  has  made  use  of  the  brazen  serpent  to  re- 
present himself.  He  says  ;  "  And  as  Moses  lifted 
up  the  serpent  in  the  wilderaess,  even  so  must  the 
son  of  man  be  lifted  up  ;  that  whosoever  believeth 
in  him  should  not  perish,  but  have  eternal  life." 
When  the  Israelites  were  bitten  by  the  fiery  ser- 
pents, and  the  deadly  poison  was  diffused  through- 
out their  distressed  bodies,  only  a  look  at  the  brazen 
serpent  on  the  pole  effected  a  radical  cure  of  the 
deadly  wound.  So  by  looking  unto  Jesus,  who  is 
the  wisdom  of  God,  we  are  recovered  from  the 
dreadful  contagion  of  our  earthly,  sensual  wisdom. 
Thus  the  promised  seed  bruises  the  serpent's  head. 
Let  us  look  in  the  next  place,  and  ascertain  if 
possible,  the  source  of  this  sensual  wisdom  which  is 
enmity  against  the  wisdom  of  God,  and  which 
tempts  us  to  sin.  St.  James  says ;  "  Every  man  is 
tempted  when  he  is  drawn  away  of  his  own  lust, 
and  enticed.  Then  when  lust  hath  conceived,  it 
bringeth  forth  sin  ;  and  sin,  when  it  is  finished, 
bringeth  forth  death."— To  the  Galatians  St.  Paul 
says  ;  "  I  say  then,  walk  in  the  spirit,  and  ye  shall 
not  fulfil  the  lust  of  the  flesh.  For  the  flesh  lusteth 
against  the  spirit,  and  the  spirit  against  the  flesh  : 

10 


and  these  are  contrary  the  one  to  the  other  ;  so  that 
ye  cannot  do  the  things  that  ye  would."  Is  not  the 
a'ccount  given  by  St.  Paul  and  St.  James  a  plain, 
reasonable  representation  of  the  power  of  the  flesh- 
ly nature  to  strive  against  the  spirit  of  divine  wis- 
dom in  us,  to  tempt  us  and  to  lead  us  into  sin  which 
produces  death  ?  And  if  this  be  the  way  that  we 
are  tempted,  have  we  any  reason  to  believe  that  it  is 
not  the  way  in  which  Eve  was  tempted  in  the  be- 
ginning ?  Yea,  is  not  this  contentious  sensual  wis- 
dom of  the  flesh,  the  serpent  which  beguiled  the 
woman  ?  And  is  it  not  the  same  serpent  which 


beguiles  both  men  and  women  and  leads  them  into 
sin  and  death?  Furthermore,  St.  Paul  says  ;  "Now 
the  works  of  the  flesh  are  manifest,  which  are  these  ; 
adultery,  fornication,  uncleanness,  lasciviousness, 
idolatry,  witchcraft,  hatred,  variance,  emulation, 
wrath,  strife,  seditions,  heresies,  envying,  murders, 
drunkenness,  revellings,  and  such  like."  These 
works  are  all  the  natural  productions  of  our  flesh- 
ly, earthly  nature,  and  the  wisdom  which  is  earthly, 
sensual,  devilish,  is  the  serpent  which  beguiles  us. 
Now  if  we  have  found  the  real  source  of  our  own 
temptations,  we  have  also  found  the  source  of  the 
temptations  of  all  mankind,  not  excepting  the  mother 
of  our  race.  Flesh  and  blood  was  the  same  in  the 
beginning  as  it  is  now,  its  powers  were  the  same, 
its  lusts  were  the  same,  its  wisdom  was  the  same,  and 
it  is  to  the  powers  and  appetites  of  the  flesh  that 
every  sin  we  commit  may  be  traced. 

St.  Paul  says  ;  "  The  woman  being  deceived,  was 
in  the  transgression."  Could  she  have  been  de- 
ceived if  she  had  been  truly  wise  ?  No,  but  she 
was  made  subject  to  vanity.  If  she  had  been  per- 
fectly satisfied  with  her  condition  would  she  have 
disobeyed  her  Maker  for  the  sake  of  being  more 
wi?e  ?  And  was  it  not  perfectly  natural  for  her  to 
wibh  to  have  her  husband  with  her  in  this  wisdom  f 


There  appears  nothing  in  this  whole  account  that 
differs  from  our  common  experience  and  observa- 
tion. There  is  no  condition  in  which  man  can  be 
placed,  in  the  present  state,  that  can  bound  his  de- 
sires, or  render  him  perfectly  satisfied  with  what 
he  possesses.  There  has  been  muclj  said  concern- 
ing the  happy,  the  consummately  happy  state  in 
which  Adam  and  Eve  were  placed  in  the  garden  ; 
long  accounts  have  been  dressed  up  in  all  the  beau- 
ties of  rhetoric  concerning  the  felicity  of  the  hap- 
py pair  before  transgression.  But  to  describe  the 
dreadful  consequences  of  the  first  sin,  the  calami- 
tous change  which  it  effected  in  all  nature  here  on 
earth,  and  the  endless  wo  to  which  the  whole  pos- 
terity of  Adam  was  exposed  by  it,  has  exhausted  all 
the  powers  of  human  imagination.  And  yet,  if  we 
look  for  these  things  in  the  scriptures  we  find  them 
not.  What  is  said  of  the  happy  state  of  our  first 
parents  before  they  knew  good  and  evil  ?  Nothing. 
How  does  the  word  of  divine  revelation  expatiate 
on  the  miserable  state  into  which  the  first  transgres- 
sion brought  man  ?  It  extends  the  subject  no  further 
than  human  experience  in  all  ages  of  the  world  ex- 
tends it.  Sin  was  attended  with  guilt  and  fear  ac- 
cording to  the  first  account  we  have  of  it,  and  ex- 
perience has  taught  us  all,  that  guilt  and  fear  are 
its  natural  consequences.  But  that  the  first  trans- 
gression was  attended  with  worse  consequences  than 
the  sins  which  were  committed  afterward,  we  find 
no  authority  for  believing.  And  what  would  be 
the  fruits  of  our  researches  should  we  examine  what 
the  scriptures  say  concerning  the  state  of  endless 
wo  to  which  the  first  sin  exposed  the  whole  human 
race  ?  Why  in  fact  we  should  search  in  vain  to 
find  any  thing  of  the  kind  in  the  word  of  God. 
Even  the  serpent  had  no  malediction  pronounced 
on  him,  that  either  deprived  him  of  his  natural  food 
or  extended  beyond  hi?  natural  life  ;  much  less,  if 


76 

possible,  was  there  any  suggestion,  either  to  the 
man  or  the  woman,  that  the  consequences  of  their 
sin  would  extend  into  a  future  state. 

All  the'vain  notions  which  the  earthly,  sensual 
wisdom  of  this  world  has  framed  on  this  subject  are 
evidences  in  support  of  what  we  have  endeavoured 
to  make  evident,  namely,  that  imperfection  and  sin 
manifest  themselves  in  our  strife  to  be  wise  by  vio- 
lating the  word  of  God  ;  and  that  vanity  to  which 
man  is  the  most  inclined,  is  seen  in  his  inventions 
by  which  he  renders  truth,  which  is  perfectly  sim- 
ple in  itself,  obscure  and  mysterious. 

But  shall  it  be  said,  because  God  has  made  the 
creature  subject  to  all  this  vanity,  that  he  is 
therefore  unfriendly  to  his  offspring  ?  No,  my  bre^ 
thren,  this  is  not  the  case.  Blessed  be  God,  though 
in  his  infinite  wisdom  he  saw  best  to  subject  his  crea- 
tures to  vanity  in  this  mortal  state,  he  has  made  ex- 
tensive and  ample  provisions  in  his  providence  to 
render  this  vain  state  convenient  in  an  infinite  va- 
riety of  ways,  and  has  so  bountifully  scattered 
down  his  blessings  that  we  have  constant  reason  to 
rejoice  in  his  goodness.  He  did  not  forsake  man 
in  the  beginning  of  his  career  in  sin,  but  though  he 
manifested  his  holy  disapprobation  of  the  defection 
of  his  children,  he  made  them  sensible  likewise  of 
his  fatherly  kindness  and  unchangeable  goodness. 
How  affecting  is  the  account  we  have  of  the  voice 
of  the  Lord  God  in  the  cool  of  the  day  calling  after 
'Adam.  How  tender  are  the  words  ;  "  Adam,  Adam, 
where  art  t  hou?"  Who  can  hear  the  language  of  divine 
mercy  expressed  in  the  promises  of  the  seed  of  the 
woman  who  should  bruise  the  serpent's  head,  with- 
out  emotions  of  lively  gratitude?  That  all  gracious, 
merciful  Creator,  who  made  the  creature  subject 
to  vanity,  subjected  him  in  hope. 

The  reason  assigned  by  the  Apostle,  why  the 
creature  was  subjected  to  vanity  in  hope,  he  ex- 


presses  in  the  verse  following  our  text  in  these 
words ;  ««  Because  the  creature  itself  also  shall  be 
delivered  from  the  bondage  of  corruption,  into  the 
glorious  liberty  of  the  children  of  God."  Just 
above  he  had  said  ;  "  The  spirit  itself  beareth  wit- 
ness with  our  spirit  that  we  are  the  children  of  God. 
And  if  children,  then  heirs  ;  heirs  of  God,  and  joint- 
heirs  with  Christ ;  if  so  be  that  we  suffer  with  him, 
that  we  may  be  also  glorified  together.  For  I 
reckon  that  the  sufferings  of  the  present  time  are 
not  worthy  to  be  compared  with  the  glory  which 
shall  be  revealed  in  us.  For  the  earnest  expecta- 
tion of  the  creature  waiteth  for  the  manifestation 
of  the  sons  of  God." 

As  the  creature  was  not  the  author  of  this  state 
of  vanity,  so  he  is  not  the  author  of  that  hope  in 
which  he  is  subjected ;  no,  nor  is  he  the  author  of 
that  glorious  liberty  of  the  sons  of  God  into  which 
the  whole  creation  shall  be  delivered,  from  the 
bondage  of  corruption. 

This  hope  of  life  and  immortality,  our  kind  and 
merciful  Creator  has  implanted  in  our  nature,  and 
it  seems  to  exist  as  universally  as  the  idea  of  a 
supreme  Being.  Those  notions  which  owe  their 
origin  to  the  inventions  of  priests,  and  their  standing 
to  the  superstition  of  the  ignorant  are  not  uni- 
versal ;  they  are  limited  to  certain  denomina- 
tions or  nations,  and  have  nothing  in  them  which 
compares  with  the  wisdom  and  goodness  of  the 
divine  Being.  But  the  universality  of  the  hope  of 
a  future,  happy  existence,  very  fitly  compares  with 
the  impartial  goodness  of  God,  from  which  circum- 
stance it  acquires  no  small  share  of  its  natural  evi- 
dence. 

But  one  of  the  principal  objects  of  the  gos- 
pel of  Jesus  Christ  seems  to  have  been  to  present 
us  with  full  and  adequate  proof  of  the  doctrine  of  a 
future  happy  state  for  all  mankind. 


78 

Speaking  of  Jesus,  the  Apostle  says ;  "  Who  hath 
brought  life  and  immortality  to  light  through  the 
gospel." 

The  hearer  is  cautioned  against  the  notion,  that 
our  Saviour  was  sent  into  the  world  to  go  through  a 
process  in  order  to  purchase,  or  procure  life  and 
joimortality  for  man;  for  he  came  to  suffer,  die,  and 
rise  from  the  dead,  that  he  might  bring  life  and  im- 
mortality to  light ;  that  is,  that  he  might  make  that 
manifest  which  the  creature  groaned  and  travailed 
for,  and  which  God  had  given  unto  us  in  Christ 
Jesus  before  the  world  began. 

This  glorious  liberty  of  the  sons  of  God,  in  hope 
of  which  the  whole  creation  groans  and  travails  in 
pain,  is  the  inheritance  of  which  we  are  joint-heirs 
with  Christ.  Jesus  our  fore-runner  hath  entered 
into  glory,  and  being  the  head  of  every  man,  in 
•*  the  first  fruits  of  them  that  slept.  For  since  by 
man  came  death,  by  man  came  also  the  resurrection 
of  the  dead.  For  as  in  Adam  all  die,  even  so  in 
Christ  shall  all  be  made  alive." 

From  the  doctrine  of  our  text  may  be  drawn  the 
following  inferences  : 

1st.  The  opinion  which  has  long  maintained  that 
the  first  temptation  which  led  to  the  introduction 
of  sin  into  our  world,  was  the  instigation  of  a  fallen 
Angel,  appears  to  be  without  foundation  or  authori- 
ty in  the  scriptures,  which  plainly  indicate  that  the 
constitutional  infirmities  of  flesh  and  blood  are  in 
fact  the  Bource  from  whence  all  sinful  temptations 
rise. 

2d.  That  tl*e  common  notion  which  Christian  peo- 
ple entertain  and  cultivate  in  the  minds  of  their 
children,  of  an  invisible  agent,  who  was  once  a  holy 
angel  in  heaven,  that  now  continually  accompanies 
people  wherever  they  go,  and  is  all  the  time  tempt- 
ing them  to  sin,  is  nothing  more  than  an  invention  of 
the  wisdom  of  the  flesh,  and  is  supported  by  no  other 


79 

means  than  superstition.  Is  there  even  a  child,  who 
has  come  to  the  years  of  discretion,  that  cannot  see, 
that  in  order  for  this  evil  agent  to  do  all  that  is  at- 
tributed to  him,  he  must  be  every  where  at  the  same 
time  ?  It  seems  reasonable  that  we  should  be  right- 
ly informed  on  this  subject,  because  if  we  have  enev 
mies  to  contend  with,  it  is  surely  necessary  to  know 
them  and  to  know  their  strength.  Our  appetites  and 
passions  are  at  all  times  with  us ;  and  though  they 
are  all  good  in  the  place  for  which  they  were  made, 
and  for  the  use  for  which  they  were  created,  yet  as 
they  are  blind  in  proportion  to  their  strength,  they 
will  surely  lead  us  into  sin  if  they  are  not  governed 
by  wisdom  and  prudence. 

3d.  There  appears  no  authority  for  the  common 
opinion,  that  the  first  transgression  produced  a  ra- 
dical change  in  the  moral  constitution  of  man,  or 
that  in  consequence  of  this  first  sin,  man  Became  to~ 
tally  depraved  and  altogether  opposed  to  all  good, 
and  inclined  wholly  to  all  evil.  Nor  does  it  appear 
that  there  was  any  such  change  effected  in  the  phy-* 
sical  constitution  of  the  creature,  as  to  communi- 
cate any  taint  to  posterity.  If  even  Cain  had  beent 
wholly  inclined  to  evil  by  nature,  he  would  have 
been  as  likely  to  take  the  life  of  Abel  without  the 
occasion  mentioned  in  the  Scriptures  as  with  it. — 
And  if  Abel  had  been  wholly  inclined  to  evil,  he 
would  have  been  as  likely  to  take  the  life  of  Cain, 
and  even  that  of  Adam  and  Eve,  as  Cain  to  take  his 
life.  Before  sin  took  place  it  required  a  temptation 
to  produce  it,  and  since  the  first  transgression  the 
case  has  always  been  the  same ;  every  crime  is  pre- 
ceded by  temptation,  which  would  not  be  requir- 
ed if  man  was  naturally  altogether  inclined  to 
evil. 

4th.  The  religion  of  Jesus  affords  us  divine  evi- 
dences in  support  of  that  glorious  hope  of  life  and 
immortality  in  which  the  whole  created  humanity 


80 

was  made  subject  to  vanity.  How  infinitely  rich 
is  this  blessed  hope  !  This  is  the  "  anchor  of  the 
soul,  both  sure  and  stedfast,  entering  into  that  with- 
in the  vail  where  our  fore-runner  hath  for  us  enter- 
ed." Calmly  leaning  on  this,  Faith  casts  her  long- 
ing eyes  beyond  the  proud  swellings  of  the  Jordan 
of  death,  sees  the  inviting  land  of  promise,  lays 
hold  of  the  earnest  of  the  inheritance,  and  sings  the 
triumphant  song ;  "  O  death,  where  is  thy  sting  ? 
O  grave,  where  is  thy  victory  ?" 


.  m- 

. 

No.  6. 

LECTURE  SERMON, 

DELIVERED  AT  THE 

SECOND  UNIVERSALIST  MEETING,  IN  BOSTON, 
OCTOBER  11,1818. 


BY  HOSEA  BALLOU,  PASTOR. 


Published  Semi-Monthly,  by  Henry  Bowen,  Devonshire-street. 

ISAIAH  xxv.  6,  7,  8. 

w  And  in  this  mountain  shall  the  Lord  of  hosts  make  unto  all  people  <t 
feast  of  fat  things,  a  feast  of  wines  on  the  lees  ;  of  fat  things  full  of 
marrow,  of  wines  on  the  lees  well  refined.  And,  he  will  destroy  in  this 
mountain  the  face  of  the  covering  cast  over  all  people,  and  the  vail  that 
is  spread  over  all  nations.  He  will  swallow  up  death  in  victory  ;  and 
the  Lord  God  vrfll  wipe  away  tears  from  off 'all  faces  ;  and  the  rebuke 
of  his  people  shall  he  take  away  from  off  all  the  earth  :  for  the  Lord 
hath  spoken  if." 

THE  first  subject  of  inquiry  found  in  this  por- 
tion of  divine  truth  is  to  ascertain  what  the  in- 
spired author  means  by  the  mountain  of  which 
he  speaks  in  our  text. 

The  same  Prophet  in  his  2d  chapter  speaks  aa 
follows  ;  "  And  it  shall  come  to  pass  in  the  last 
days  that  the  mountain  of  the  Lord's  house  shall 
be  established  upon  the  top  of  the  mountains,  and 
shall  be  exalted  above  the  hills  ;  and  all  nations 
shall  flow  unto  it."  As  the  prophet  here  speaks 
of  the  establishment  of  the  mountain  of  the  Lord's 
house  upon  the  top  of  the  mountains,  it  seems  to 
indicate  the  setting  up  of  the  divine  power  and 
government  over  the  powers  and  polities  of  this 
world  ;  the  exalting  of  the  mountain  of  the  Lord's 
bouse  above  the  hills  signifies  the  exaltation  of  tfet 

11 


82 

divine  economy  and  government  over  all  the 
powers  of  the  earth.  The  same  in  substance  is 
found  in  the  2«i  chapter  of  Daniel,  where  the  four 
great  empires  of  the  world  are  particularly  cha- 
racterised, their  dissolution  represented,  and  the 
kingdom  of  God  set  up  and  established.  "  Then 
was  the  iron,  the  clay,  the  brass,  the  silver,  and  the 
gold,  broken  in  pieces  together,  and  became  like 
the  chaff  of  the  summer  threshing-floors;  and  the 
wind  carried  them  away,  that  no  place  was  found 
for  them  ;  and  the  stone  that  smote  the  image,  be- 
came a  great  mountain,  and  filled  the  whole  earth.*' 
This  is  explained  as  follows  ;  "  And  in  the  days 
of  these  kings  shall  the  God  of  heaven  set  up  a 
kingdom,  which  shall  never  be  destroyed  :  and  the 
kingdom  shall  not  be  left  to  another  people,  but  it 
shall  break  in  pieces  and  consume  all  these  king- 
doms, and  it  shall  stand  forever." 

The  gospel  covenant  is  represented  by  mount 
Sion,  in  the  epistle  to  the  Hebrews;  "But  ye  are 
come  unto  mount  Sion,  and  unto  the  city  of  the 
living  God,  the  heavenly  Jerusalem,"  &c.  Here 
the  same  which  is  called  a  mountain  is  called  the 
city  of  the  living  God,  the  heavenly  Jerusalem. 
In  the  epistle  to  the  Galatians  the  two  covenants 
are  represented  by  the  allegory  of  Sarah  and  Ha- 
gar;  "  For  this  Agar  is  mount  Sina,  and  answer- 
eth  to  Jerusalem  which  now  is,  and  is  in  bondage, 
with  her  children.  But  Jerusalem  which  is  above, 
is  free,  which  is  the  mother  of  us  all."  This  is  the 
same  Jerusalem  of  which  mention  is  made  in  the 
21st  of  Revelations,  as  follows  :  "  And  I  John  saw 
the  holy  City,  new  Jerusalem,  coming  down  from 
God  out  of  heaven,  prepared  as  a  bride,adomed  for 
her  husband."  This  mount  Sion,  this  heavenly, 
new  Jerusalem,  this  city  of  the  living  God  is  the 
mountain  of  the  Lord's  house  which  is  to  be  estab- 
lished upon  the  top  of  the  mountains,  and  exalted 


83 

above  the  hills,  nnd  unto  which  all  nations  are  to 
flow.  All  nations  will  finally  submit  to  the  laws 
and  government  of  the  gospel,  and  be  willing  sub- 
jects of  him  who  "  shall  have  dominion  from  sea  to 
sea,  and  from  the  river  unto  the  ends  of  the  earth, 
of  the  increase  of  whose  government  and  peace 
there  shall  be  no  end." 

As  the  prophet  informs  us,  that  alt  nations  shall 
flow  to  this  mountian  of  the  Lord's  house,  so  in  our 
text  he  says  ;  "  In  this  mountain  shall  the  Lord  of 
hosts  make  unto  all  people  a  feast  of  fat  things," 
which  invites  us  to  the  consideration  of  the  uni- 
versality of  the  grace  of  the  gospel. 

The  divinity  of  this  testimony  is  visible  on  the 
face  of  it.  It  is  like  every  thing  which  belongs  to 
the  wisdom  and  goodness  of  God.  There  is  no 
partiality  in  it.  Every  thing  contrived  by  man 
discovers  its  origin  by  its  partiality  ;  so  whatever 
is  revealed  from  God  proves  itself  to  be  from  him 
by  its  impartiality.  This  universal  impartial  Ian- 
gauge  is  the  language  which  the  holy  Ghost  saw 
fit  to  use  to  express  the  extensiveness  of  the  divine 
goodness.  The  promises  of  God  to  Abraham, 
Isaac  and  Jacob,  expressive  of  the  gospel  covenant 
are  recorded  in  similar  language.  God  cer- 
tified the  fathers,  that  in  the  promised  seed 
all  the  nations  and  all  the  families  of  the  earth 
should  be  blessed.  These  promises  perfectly  har- 
monise with  the  prophecy  under  consideration. 
In  this  mountain,  in  this  seed,  in  this  covenant,  in 
this  kingdom,  in  this  city,  in  this  government  the 
Lord  of  hosts  shall  make  unto  all  people  a  feast 
of  fat  things.  The  same  universality  is  expressed 
in  the  2d  Psalm.  "  I  have  set  my  king  upon  my 
holy  hill  of  Zion.  I  will  declare  the  decree  ;  the 
Lord  hath  said  unto  me,  thou  art  my  son  ;  this 
day  have  I  begotten  thee.  Ask  of  me,  and  I  shall 
give  thee  the  heathen  for  thine  inheritance,  and  the 


84 

uttermost  parts  of  the  earth  for  thy  possession." 
Like  unto  this  is  the  following  in  the  22d  Psalm. 
"  All  the  ends  of  the  world  shall  remember,  and  turn 
unto  the  Lord  ;  and  all  the  kindreds  of  the  nations 
shall  worship  before  thee.  For  the  kingdom  is  the 
Lord's  ;  and  he  is  the  governor  among  nations." 
This  word  kindreds,  is  used  by  St.  Peter  in  the  3d 
of  Acts.  "  Ye  are  the  children  of  the  prophets,  and 
of  the  covenant  which  God  made  with  the  fathers, 
saying  unto  Abraham,  and  in  thy  seed  shall  all  the 
kindreds  of  the  earth  be  blessed."  According  to 
this  divine  declaration,  all  the  kindreds  of  the 
earth  are  the  children,  and  if  children,  then  heirs 
of  the  testimony  of  the  prophets,  and  of  the 
covenant  which  God  made  with  the  fathers.  In 
prospect  of  these  great  and  glorious  things  of  the 
kingdom  of  God,  the  prophet  David  says,  in  the 
64th  psalm ;  "  All  men  shall  fear,  and  shall  de- 
clare the  work  of  God  ;  for  they  shall  wisely  con- 
sider of  his  doings."  In  the  72d  psalm  we  find  the 
following  ;  "  He  shall  have  dominion  also  from  sea 
to  sea,  and  from  the  river  unto  the  ends  of  the  earth 
— men  shall  be  blessed  in  him,  all  nations  shall  call 
him  blessed — all  kings  shall  fall  down  before  him  ; 
all  nations  shall  serve  him."  Psalm  86th, "  All  na- 
tions whom  thoti  hast  made  shall  come  and  wor- 
ship before  thee  O  Lord  ;  and  shall  glorify  thy 
name,  for  thou  art  great  and  doest  wondrous 
things ;  thou  art  God  alone."  In  bearing  such 
testimony  as  the  foregoing,  David  was  a  man  "  af- 
ter God's  own  heart."  In  addition  to  what  has 
been  quoted  from  the  prophet  Isaiah,  the  following 
may  be  mentioned  ;  Chapter  52d,  "  Break  forth 
into  joy,  sing  together  ye  waste  places  of  Jerusa- 
lem ;  for  the  Lord  hath  comforted  his  people,  he 
hath  redeemed  Jerusalem.  The  Lord  hath  made 
bare  his  holy  arm  in  the  eyes  of  all  the  nations  ; 
and  all  the  ends  of  the  earth  shall  see  the  salvation 


of  our  God."  Chap.  53 — "All  we,  like  sheep, 
have  gone  astray :  we  have  turned  every  one  to 
his  own  way;  and  the  Lord  hath  laid  on  him  the 
iniquity  of  us  all — He  shall  see  of  the  travail  of 
his  soul,  and  shall  be  satisfied  ;  by  his  knowledge 
shall  my  rigtheous  servant  justify  many,  for  he  shall 
bear  their  iniquities."  Chapter  49th,  "  And  he 
said,  it  is  a  light  thing  that  thou  shouldest  be 
my  servant  to  raise  up  the  tribes  of  Jacob,  and  to 
restore  the  preserved  of  Israel ;  I  will  also  give 
thee  for  a  light  to  the  Gentiles,  that  thou  mayest  be 
my  salvation  unto  the  ends  of  the  earth."  Time 
would  fail  us  to  recite  all  this  kind  of  testimony 
from  the  prophets  who  spake  of  the  coming  of  the 
Just  One,  and  of  the  glory  that  shouid  follow.  We 
find  in  the  New  Testament  many  arguments  and 
declarations  corresponding  with  the  promises  of 
God  and  the  sayings  of  the  prophets  on  this  glori- 
ous subject  of  universal  grace.  Jesus  said,  "  God 
sent  not  his  Son  into  the  world  to  condemn  the  world 
but  that  the  world  through  him  might  be  saved." 
The  beloved  disciple  says  ;  "  We  have  seen  and 
do  testify,  that  the  Father  sent  the  Son  to  be  the 
saviour  of  the  world."  Again  be  says  that  "  Jes- 
us Christ  the  righteous  is  the  propitiation  for  the 
sins  of  the  whole  world."  St.  Paul  bestows  much 
argument  to  show  that "  where  sin  abounded,  grace 
hath  much  more  abounded  ;  and  that  as  by  the  of- 
fence of  one,judgment  came  upon  all  men  unto  con- 
demnation, even  so  by  the  righteousness  of  one,the 
free  gift  came  upon  all  men  unto  justification  of 
life."  He  exhorts  Timothy  to  pray  and  give 
thanks  for  all  men,  because  God  will  have  all 
men  to  be  saved,  and  as  a  reason  for  this  he  says, 
that  the  one  Mediator  gave  himself  a  ransom  for  all, 
to  be  testified  in  due  time. 

Having  presented  the  hearer  with  this  very  lim- 
ited sketch  of  the  divine  testimony  in  favour  of  the 


universal  goodness  of  God  to  mankind,  a  humble 
desire  is  felt  that  we  may  now  look  with  enlighten- 
ed eyes  and  candid  minds,  to  see  how  this  doctrine 
agrees  with  the  works  and  ways  of  God  which  are 
visible. 

Can  we  see  in  all  the  works  of  God,  any  instance 
where  the  Creator  has  discovered  any  want  of 
goodness  to  the  creature  which  he  has  made  ?  Is 
there  any  thing  that  we  can  point  out  in  his  uni- 
versal providence  that  is  a  proof  of  a  design  to 
harm  the  works  of  his  hands  ?  Every  animal,  ev- 
ery fish,  every  bird,  every  reptile  and  every  in- 
sect speaks  forth  the  goodness  of  its  Creator.  Is 
there  a  nation  on  the  earth  who  are  so  treated  by 
the  divine  Being,  that  they  can  say  to  the  world, 
we  have  never  received  a  favour  from  our 
Creator?  Is  there  an  individual  among  men  who 
will  stand  forth  and  protest  against  all  the  doings 
of  God,  and  say,  I  have  received  nothing  but  evil 
from  the  hand  that  formed  me  ?  Is  there  a  son  or 
a  daughter  of  sorrow  in  the  hearing  of  this  humble 
voice,  who  will  assure  us  that  "  their  light  afflic- 
tions, which  are  but  for  a  moment,"  will  not  "  work 
for  us  an  exceeding  and  eternal  weight  of  glory  ;" 
and  that  God  is  not  good  unto  all,  and  that  his  ten- 
der mercies  are  not  over  all  his  works? 

Much  has  been  said  in  the  Christian  church,  and 
much  has  been  maintained  by  the  prejudices  of  the 
ignorant  against  the  universal  goodness  of  God, 
and  in  favor  of  a  partial  system  of  salvation  ;  but 
after  all,  the  great  question  is,  has  God  furnished 
those  who  limit  his  favor,  with  sufficient  proof 
that  they  are  right  in  so  doing?  In  his  sun-shine 
and  in  his  rain  does  the  Father  of  our  spirits  in- 
form us,  that  he  has  elected  a  few  only  of  his  ra- 
tional offspring  to  be  heirs  of  his  grace,  and  that 
the  remainder  are  doomed  to  everlasting  wo  ?  No ! 
the  blessed  rays  of  the  sun  which  makesourday,  and 


87 

warms  the  earth,  the  rain  from  heaven,  which  waters 
our  fields  and  our  orchards  and  our  gardens,  preach 
the  doctrine  of  universal  impartial  goodness;  And 
so  do  all  the  elements  in  the  infinite  variety  of  their 
productions.  The  water  we  drink,  the  air  we 
breathe,  the  food  we  receive,  the  raiment  we  wear, 
the  strength  of  our  bodies,  the  abilities  of  our 
minds,  our  health,  the  sweets  of  friendship,  the 
beauties  our  eyes  behold,  the  charms  of  music,  the 
flavour  of  fruits,  in  short  every  subject  of  thought 
agrees  in  declaring  the  impartial  goodness  of  God. 

The  enemies  of  this  doctrine,  would  persuade 
us  to  believe  that  it  tends  to  licentiousness,  and  re- 
moves all  restraint  necessary  to  prevent  the  gross- 
est immorality.  But  have  they  ever  attempted 
to  show  that  the  universal  promise  of  grace  in  the 
seed  of  Abraham,  ever  tended  to  make  that  friend 
of  God,  who  believed  it  licentious  ?  Will  they 
undertake  to  show  that  the  united  testimony  of 
all  God's  holy  prophets  since  the  world  began,  who 
have  spoken  of  the  restitution  of  all  things,  has 
made  the  believers  of  the  faithful  word  perverse 
and  sinful  ?  Can  you  my  friends,  see  any  thing 
licentious  in  the  sun-shine  or  in  the  rain,  of  which 
all  are  made  to  share  in  rich  abundance  ?  Is  the 
vital  air  licentious  because  it  is  free  grace  to  eve- 
ry living  being?  Are  the  cooling  spring  and  limp- 
id streams  lascivious  in  their  impartial  favor?  In 
all  these  things  God  preaches  every  day,  and  his 
auditors  rejoice  in  his  mercy. 

Having  noticed  the  universality  of  this  promised 
grace  of  the  gospel  covenent,  it  may  be  proper  to 
inquire  something  concerning  what  is  promised. 
"  A  feast  of  fat  things,  a  feast  of  wines  on  the  lees  ; 
of  fat  things  full  of  marrow,  of  wines  on  the  lees 
well  refined."  This  is  surely  a  description,  of  a 
most  sumptuous  feast.  Here  are  no  indications  of 
poverty  and  want.  This  feast  too  is  made  for  all 


people !  I  cast  my  eyes  around,  1  rejoice,  my  iieiiJft 
swells  with  joy.  This  feast  is  made  for  you  ail  ! 
Can  it  be  possible  that  this  God  of  universal  mercy 
should  have  any  enemies  ?  Yes,  men  are  enemies 
to  God  by  wicked  works  ;  yet  for  these  very  ene- 
mies he  has  made  this  feast  of  fat  things.  But  of 
what  does  this  feast  consist  ?  Answer,  it  is  com- 
posed of  the  fruit  of  the  spirit  which  is  "  love,  joy, 
peace,  long-suffering,  gentleness,  goodness,  faith, 
meekness,  temperance."  This  is  the  river,  "the 
streams  whereof  make  glad  the  city  of  our  God." 

What  is  richer,  what  is  sweeter,  what  is  more 
nourishing  than  love?  Love  to  God  and  love  to 
man  is  life,  it  is  peace,  it  is  joy,  it  is  long-suffering,  it 
is  gentleness,  it  is  goodness;  it  believeth  all  things, 
it  hopeth  all  things,  it  endureth  all  things;  it  is 
meekness,  it  is  temperance,  it  is  the  fulfilling  of  the 
law,  it  is  everlasting  righteousness.  This  is  the 
milk  and  honey,  of  spiritual  Canaan.  This  is  the 
feast  of  which  we  read  in  the  9th  of  Proverbs ; 
"  Wisdom  hath  built  her  house,  she  hath  hewn  out 
her  seven  pillars  ;  she  hath  killed  her  beasts;  she 
hath  mingled  her  wine ;  she  hath  also  furnished 
her  table  ;  she  hath  sent  forth  her  maidens ;  she 
crieth  upon  the  high  places  of  the  city,  whoso  is 
simple,  let  him  turn  in  hither ;  as  for  him  that 
wanteth  understanding,  she  saith  to  him,  come  eat  of 
my  bread  and  drink  of  the  wine  which  I  have 
mingled,  forsake  the  foolish  and  live  :  and  go 
in  the  way  of  understanding."  By  the  Prophet 
Isaiah  we  are  invited  to  this  feast  in  the  following 
language  :  "  Ho,  every  one  that  thirsteth,  come  ye 
to  the  waters,  and  he  that  hath  no  money  ;  come 
ye,  buy  and  eat :  yea,  come,  buy  wine  and 
milk  without  money,  and  without  price.  Where- 
fore do  ye  spend  money  for  that  which  is  not 
bread  ?  and  your  labour  for  that  which  satis- 
fieth  not  ?  Hearken  diligently  unto  me,  and  eat 


89 

of  that  which  is  good,  and  let  your  soul  delight  it- 
self in  fatness."  And  the  blessed  Jesus,  in  the  great 
day  of  the  feast,  stood  and  cried,  "  If  any  man  thirst 
let  him  come  unto  me  and  drink."  By  such  lan- 
guage as  the  foregoing,  from  the  prophet  and  from 
the  Saviour,  we  are  assured  that  this  feast  is  made 
for  "  all  people."  If  this  were  not  the  case  the 
Holy  Ghost  would  not  use  general  and  universal 
terms  in  calling  on  people  to  come  to  it.  Should 
one  of  our  wealthy  citizens  make  a  public  enter- 
tainment, and  send  his  servants  into  the  streets  to 
invite  the  people  in  such  language  as  is  used  in 
scripture  to  invite  sinners  to  the  gospel  feast,  every 
person  who  heard  such  invitations  would  either  be- 
lieve that  he  was  welcome,  or  that  the  man  who 
made  the  feast  was  a  hypocrite.  To  talk  about 
general  calls  and  special  calls  in  this  case  would 
never  satisfy  common  sense. 

Our  brother,  who  holds  to  conditional  salvation 
may  be  admitted  to  bring  his  objection  against 
the  final  salvation  of  all  men,  and  say,  that  the  feast 
is  made  for  all  who  will  come,  and  the  invitation  is 
to  whosoever  will.  Reply  :  We  grant  his  pr6*mises, 
but  disallow  his  consequences.  We  will  a^k  him 
whether  he  would  be  concerned  for  fear  his  chil- 
dren would  starve  to  death,  if  he  had  bread  enough 
to  give  them  ?  Would  any  person  be  concerned 
for  their  children  or  friends,  for  fear  they  would 
starve,  when  they  had  enough  to  eat  ?  It  is  true 
there  may  be  difficulties  to  be  removed ;  there 
may  be  a  case  in  which  though  there  be  a  plenty 
of  provision,  the  children  may  not  know  where  it 
is.  In  this  case  the  parent  would  certainly  use 
means  to  inform  them.  Again,  children  may  be 
plagued  with  disobedient  hearts,  they  may  wander 
from  home,  they  may,  from  being  displeased,  re- 
fuse to  come  to  the  parental  table,  but  hunger  will 
cure  all  these  difficulties. — Let  the  child  that  wjl- 
12 


00 

fully  refuses  to  cat,  be  indulged  in  its  own  way, 
how  soon  will  hunger  humble  its  spirit.  How  came 
the  brethren  of  Joseph  all  to  prostrate  themselves 
before  him  ?  These  men  who  were  HO  determined 
that  the  dreams  of  Joseph  should  never  be  fulfilled, 
who  despised  the  thought  of  falling  on  their  knees 
to  their  brother,  were  humbled  by  famine.  The 
stout  hearted,  haughty  prodigal  was  humbled, 
brought  to  himself,  and  made  willing  to  return  to 
his  father's  house  by  the  force  of  hunger.  Was 
there  even  any  uncertainty  respecting  the  re- 
duction of  Joseph's  brethren  to  a  state  of  humi- 
lity ?  Was  there  any  uncertainty  about  the  final 
return  of  the  prodigal  ?  No,  nor  is  there  any  un- 
certainty that  "  All  the  ends  of  the  world  shall  re- 
member and  turn  unto  the  Lord." 

That  law  by  which  all  creatures  are  governed 
renders  it  certain  that  all  people  will  feed  on  the 
best  provisions  they  can  procure,  especially  if  it 
cost  them  nothing. 

If  Ephraira  of  old,  fed  on  wind,  and  followed 
after  the  east  wind,  it  was  because  he  knew  of  no- 
thing better.  And  if  people  now  are  as  much  de- 
ceived as  Ephraim  was,  they  may  endeavor  to 
feed  on  every  wind  of  doctrine  that  blows  from  the 
high  places  of  spiritual  wickedness ;  but  it  is  be- 
cause they  know  of  nothing  better.  God  says,  by 
the  mouth  of  the  Prophet  Hosea  ;  "  My  people 
are  destroyed  for  lack  of  knowledge."  This  situ- 
ation of  mankind  seems  to  invite  us  to  the  consid- 
eration of  another  important  subject  in  our  text, 
expressed  in  the  following  words  ;  "  And  he  will 
destroy  in  this  mountain  the  face  of  the  covering 
cast  over  all  people,  and  the  vail  that  is  spread 
over  all  nations." 

This  vail  or  face  of  covering  which  has  been 
spread  over  all  nations  is  the  ignorance  and  unbe- 
lief of  which  St.  Paul  speaks  in  Romans  1  Jth,  "For 


God  hath  concluded  them  all  in  unbelief,  that 
he  might  have  mercy  upon  all."  And  the  same 
Apostle  has  more  on  the  same  subject  in  his  2d 
Epistle  to  the  Corinthians  ;  "  Seeing  then  that 
we  have  such  hope,  we  use  great  plainness  of 
speech  ;  and  not  as  Moses  which  put  a  vail  over  his 
face,  that  the  children  of  Israel  could  not  stedfast- 
ly  look  to  the  end  of  that  which  is  abolished :  but 
their  minds  were  blinded  :  for  until  this  day  re- 
maincth  the  same  vail  untaken  away  in  reading 
the  Old  Testament ;  which  vail  is  done  away  in 
Christ.  But  even  unto  this  day,  when  Moses  is 
read,  the  vail  is  upon  their  heart.  Nevertheless, 
when  it  shall  turn  to  the  Lord,  the  vail  shall  be 
taken  away." 

The  gospel  dispensation  and  ministry  were  de- 
signed for  the  enlightening  and  instrucing  of  man- 
kind. Jesus  was  a  teacher  sent  from  God  ;  the 
Apostles  were  commanded  to  teach  all  nations, 
and  preach  thegospel  to  every  creature.  In  short, 
the  true  knowledge  of  God  is  the  life  and  salvation 
which  the  Saviour  brings  to  the  world  ;  it  is  the 
feast  of  fat  things  which  is  made  in  mount  Sion  for 
all  people.  Jesus  said  in  his  prayer  to  the  Father  : 
"  Glorify  thy  Son,  that  thy  Son  also  may 
glorify  thee  :  thou  hast  given  him  power  over 
all  flesh,  that  he  should  give  eternal  life  to  as  ma- 
ny as  thou  hast  given  him.  And  this  is  life  eter- 
nal, that  they  might  know  thee  the  only  true  God 
and  Jesus  Christ,  whom  thou  hast  sent."  Did  eve-, 
ry  child  of  Adam  now  know  God  and  Jesus  Christ 
they  would  have  eternal  life.  We  are  told,  that  this 
is  the  record,that  God  hath  given  unto  us  eternal  life, 
and  this  life  is  in  his  Son  ;  that  is,  the  knowledge 
of  God  is  in  Christ  Jesus,  Salvation  then  con- 
sists in  knowing  God,  which  makes  it  evident  that 
the  nature  of  God  is  salvation.  As  fast,  therefore, 
as  we  advance  in  the  knowledge  of  God  we  enjoy 


92 

the  rich  provisions  which  are  made  for  all  people. 
The  hearer  may  now  see  the  nature  of  the  general 
subject.  The  love,  wisdom,  knowledge  and  good- 
ness of  God  are  free  for  all  people  and  are  calcu- 
lated to  bless,  with  fulness  of  joy,  every  creature. 
In  the  divine  economy  man  is  constituted  capable 
of  advancing  in  wisdom,  knowledge,  and  love,  and 
therefore  seems  destined  in  his  nature  to  the  en- 
joyments under  consideration. 

When  "  all  shall  know  the  Lord,"  there  will  be 
no  need  of  one's  teaching  another  ;  the  vail  then 
will  be  gone,  there  will  be  no  unbelief,  and  of 
course  no  hardness  of  heart.  The  knowledge  of 
the  Lord  shall  cover  the  earth,  as  the  waters  cover 
the  sea. 

Will  the  advocate  for  limited  salvation,  and  the 
endless  misery  of  mankind  pretend,  that  those  who 
are  to  bt>  forever  miserable  are  to  remain  ignorant 
of  the  true  character  of  God  ?  Will  the  time  never 
come  when  deception  will  be  removed  ?  Have  we 
reason  to  believe,  that  error  will  be  secured  from 
divine  light  so  as  to  remain  in  the  mind  forever  ? 
Or  will  the  opposer  say ;  No,  error  will  be  destroy- 
ed, and  the  deceived  will  be  brought  to  see 
and  know  the  truth,  but  then  it  will  all  be  too  late  ! 
The  day  of  his  probation  will  then  be  ended,  and 
he  not  saved?  This  has  an  awful  sound,  and  such 
talk  has  greatly  troubled  thousands,  but  enlighten- 
ed none.  Let  us  ask,  how  it  can  be  possible  that 
any  rational  being  should  know  divine  truth  too 
late  to  enjoy  it  ?  Is  it  possible  to  know  God  and 
Jesus  Christ  and  not  be  filled  with  divine  love  ? 
But  this  subject  is  erroneously  represented,  as  if 
we  were  to  receive  eternal  life  as  a  reward  for 
knowing  God  in  a  certain  given  time,  called  the 
time  of  our  probation  ;  after  which  it  would  be  no 
advantage  to  us  to  know  him.  This  idea  does  not 
acknowledge  the  truth  of  the  words  of  Jesus  ; 


93 

"  This  is  life  eternal,  that  they  might  know  thec 
the  only  true  God,  and  Jesus  Christ,  whom  thou 
hast  sent." 

The  hearer  is  now  invited  to  give  a  moment's  at- 
tention ta  another  most  weighty  subject  contained 
in  the  passage  under  consideration,  and  expressed 
in  the  following  words  ;  "  He  will  swallow  up 
death  in  victory."  Death  is  of  two  kinds,  moral 
and  natural.  Moral  death  is  the  effect  of  sin,  nat- 
ural death  is  the  effect  of  a  mortal  constitution. 
In  order  to  swallow  up  these  two  kinds  of  death,  sin 
must  be  finished,  everlasting  righteousness  take  its 
place,  aud  mortality  must  put  on  immortality. 
The  scriptures  are  clear  on  these  subjects,  and  leave 
no  room  for  doubt.  The  fore-runner  of  Jesus  said 
of  him  ;  "  Behold  the  lamb  of  God  which  taketh 
away  the  sin  of  the  world."  The  beloved  disciple 
said  ;  "  And  we  know  that  he  was  manifested  to 
take  away  our  sins."  Again  ;  "  If  any  man  sin  we 
have  an  advocate  with  the  Father,  Jesus  Christ  the 
righteous  ;and  he  is  the  propitiation  for  our  sins  ; 
and  not  for  ours  only,  but  also  for  the  sins  of  the 
whole  world."  Again  ;  "  For  this  purpose  was 
the  son  of  God  manifested,  that  he  might  destroy 
the  works  of  the  devil."  Moral  death  consists  in 
unreconciliation  to  God  and  is  swallowed  up  in  vic- 
tory by  the  ministration  of  reconciliation,  to  wit : 
"  that  God  was  in  Christ  reconciling  the  world  to 
himself,  not  imputing  their  trespasses  unto  them." 
Reconciliation  to  God  is  victory  over  moral  death. 
St.  Paul  says  to  the  Romans  ;  "  Moreover  the  law 
entered  that  the  offence  might  abound,  but  where 
sin  abounded,  grace  did  much  more  abound. 
That  as  sin  hath  reigned  unto  death,  even  so  might 
grace  reign  through  righteousness  unto  eternal 
life,  by  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord. — For  when  ye 
were  the  servants  of  sin,  ye  were  free  from  right- 
eousness. What  fruit  had  ye  then  in  those  things 


whereof  ye  are  now  ashamed;  for  the  end  of  those 
things  is  death.  But  now,  being  made  free  from 
sin  and  become  servants  to  God,  ye  have  your  fruit 
unto  holiness,  and  the  end  everlasting  life.  For 
the  wages  of  sin  is  death,  but  the  gift  of  God  is  eter- 
nal life  through  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord." 

The  15th  chapter  of  the  1st  epistle  of  the  Corin- 
thians is  principally  devoted  to  the  support  of  the 
doctrine  of  the  resurrection  of  the  dead  on  the 
hypothesis  that  "as in  Adam  all  die,even  so  in  Christ 
shall  all  be 'made  alive."  The  hearer  is  earnestly 
solicited  to  read  this  chapter  with  peculiar  atten- 
tention,  by  which  he  will  perceive  that  the  Apos- 
tle did  not  believe  in  a  state  of  sin  and  misery  after 
the  resurrection,  but  a  glorious  state  of  life  and 
immortality.  The  consummation  of  this  trans- 
cendent event  the  inspired  author  imforms  us  is  the 
fulfilment  of  our  subject.  "Then  shall  be  brought 
to  pass  the  saying  that  is  written,  death  is  swallow- 
ed up  in  victory." — Lastly,  "  And  the  Lord  God 
shall  wipe  away  tears  from  off  all  faces  :  and 
the  rebuke  of  his  people  shall  he  take  away  from 
off  all  the  earth  ;  for  the  Lord  hath  spoken  it," 
Here  the  prophet  presents  us  with  the  most  moving 
scene  that  ever  imagination  could  invent,  or 
language  describe.  He  represents  the  Father  of 
our  spirits  as  throwing  away  forever  the  rod  of 
correction;  and  approaching  his  humble,  penitent 
weeping  children,  and  vith  the  pitying  hand  of 
parental  love  wiping  away  the  tears  his  fatherly 
severity  had  caused  to  flow. 

To  conclude,  our  subject  and  doctrine  may  be 
improved  in  the  following  manner. 

As  God  is  recommended  to  be  impartially  good  to 
the  whole  human  family,  ordering  and  directing  all 
things  for  the  advancement  of  our  happiness,  he  is 
worthy  of  our  unfeigned  love  and  gratitude  ;  and 
the  due  consideration  of  this  weighty  truth  imposes 


.95 

on  us  all  the  great  and  rational  duty  of  conform- 
ing our  minds,  affections  and  conduct  to  this  be- 
nevolent doctrine.  Though  the  opposers  of  this 
grace  of  universal  salvation  have  so  far  misunder- 
stood the  subject,  as  to  represent  it  as  tending  to  li* 
centionsness,  we  are  fully  convinced  that  no  other 
doctrine  is  a  safe  foundation  on  which  to  build  a 
moral  character,  or  by  which  we  can  become 
conformed  to  the  religion  of  Jesus,  which  embra- 
ces love  to  our  enemies.  It  seems  as  vain  as  it  is 
absurd  to  attempt  to  cultivate  universal  love  and 
good  will  towards  mankind  by  enforcing  on  the 
mind  partial  and  limited  views  of  the  goodness  of 
God.  But  having  this  divine  and  glorious  founda- 
tion firmly  fixed  in  our  understandings,  let  us  re- 
member with  proper  caution,  that"  the  grace  of  God 
which  bringeth  salvation  to  all  men  hath  appeared, 
teaching  us,  that  denying  ungodliness  and  worldly 
lusts,  we  should  live  soberly,  and  righteously,  and 
godly,  in  this  present  world." 

As  the  rich  provisions  of  the  gospel  of  everlast- 
ing life  are  made  for  all  people,  as  all  are  most  ten- 
derly and  cordially  invited  to  partake  of  the  bles^ 
sed  fruit  of  the  tree  of  life,  let  us  all  strive  in  earn- 
est to  understand  and  know  the  truth  as  it  is  in  Je- 
sus. Let  us  feast  on  the  divine  truth  revealed  in 
the  faithful  word.  Why  should  reasonable  crea- 
tures, blessed  with  such  powers  of  investigation,  and 
capable  of  enjoying  such  intellectual  dainties,  lie  su- 
pinely and  feed  on  wind,  on  vanity,  on  lies,  and 
roll  falsehood  and  the  gall  of  error  and  supersti- 
tion as  a  sweet  morsel  under  their  tongues  ?  Come 
away  from  all  the  partial  schemes  of  the  wisdom 
of  this  world,  leave  behind  you  all  the  broken  cis- 
terns hewn  out  by  man's  invention,  which  can  hold 
no  water,  and  come  to  the  fountain  of  living  waters. 
Have  you  endeavoured  to  satisfy  your  souls  with 
Che  polluted  bread  of  a  heaven  where  you  must  look 


9t> 

down  and  see  your  fellow  creatures  in  endless  tor- 
ments ?  Where  you  must  hear  the  ceaseless  groans 
of  fathers,  mothers,  wives,  children  and  other  dear 
relatives  ?  Have  you  strove  to  conform  yourselves 
to  these  abominations  ?  O  hear  the  language  of  our 
text,  and  let  your  hearts  rejoice  in  the  God  of  our 
salvation.  "  In  this  mountain  shall  the  Lord  of 
hosts  make  unto  all  people  a  feast  of  fat  things,  of 
wines  on  the  lees,  of  fat  things  full  of  marrow,  of 
wines  on  the  lees  well  refined.  And  he  will  des- 
troy in  this  mountain  the  face  of  the  covering  cast 
over  all  people,  and  the  vail  that  is  spread  over  all 
nations.  He  will  swallow  up  death  in  victory  ; 
and  the  Lord  God  will  wipe  away  tears  from  off  all 
faces;  and  the  rebuke  of  his  people  shall  he  take 
away  from  off  all  the  earth  ;  for  the  Lord  hath 
spoken  it." 


•     No. 7.:  y.  .;;;,;•>;; 

LECTURE  SERMON,        ; "• 

DELIVERED  AT  THE 

SECOND  UNIVERSALIST  MEETING,  IN  BOSTON, 
OCTOBER  25,  1818. 

BY  HOSEA  BALLOU,  PASTOR^ 


Published  Semi-Monthly,  by  Henry  Bowen,  Devonshire-street. 

MALACHI,  iv.  1. 

*&  For,  behold,  the  day  cometh  that  shall  burn  at  an  oven  ;  and  all  the 
proud,  yea,  and  all  that  do  icickedly,  shall  be  stubble  ;  and  the  d*y  that 
cometh  shall  burn  them  up,  saith  the  Lord  of  hosts,  that  it  shall  leave 
them  neither  root  nor  branch." 

THIS  portion  of  prophetic  testimony  having 
been  generally  used  to  support  the  awful,  terrific 
doctrine  of  future  endless  misery,  and  being  now 
brought  as  an  objection  to  a  belief  in  the  divine 
goodness  to  all  men,  is  the  occasion  of  the  request 
which  has  called  our  attention  to  this  subject  at  this 
time. 

As  we  have  consented  to  discuss  this  text  in  thii 
-evening's  discourse,  a  hope  is  entertained  that  the 
audience  will  feel  such  an  interest  in  the  investiga- 
tion as  will  occasion  a  most  devout  and  religioui 
attention.  If  the  Holy  Ghost,  by  these  words,  in- 
tended  to  inform  us  that  it  is  the  divine  determina- 
tion not  to  humble  the  proud  nor  reform  those  who 
do  wickedly,  but  to  execute  upon  them  endless  tor-- 
ture,  no  doubt  it  is  necessary  for  us  so  to  understand 
these  and  other  words  of  divine  inspiration  ;  but  if 
fhese  words  were  designed  to  indicate  the  redue- 
13 


98 

tion  of  the  proud  to  humility,  and  the  reformation 
of  those  who  do  wickedly,  it  is  of  importance  that 
we  so  understand  them.  Let  us,  therefore,  care- 
fully examine  the  text  under  consideration  to  sec 
if  its  most  natural  meaning  is,  that  all  the  proud 
and  all  that  do  wickedly  are  to  be  tormented  eter- 
nally in  a  fire  that  shall  burn  as  an  oven.  If  we 
find  that  this  is  the  true  meaning  of  this  passage, 
we  must  admit  it  as  evidence  of  the  truth  of  the 
'^^  terrific  doctrine  to  which  it  is  usually  applied,  and 
as  a  refutation  of  the  doctrine  of  universal  salva- 
tion by  Jesus  Christ.  Furthermore,  if  the  com- 
mon use  of  this  text  be  admitted,  we  must  reason- 
ably suppose,  that  this  doctrine  is  the  doctrine  of 
the  holy  scriptures  generally. 

Let  us  look  at  the  text.  "  For,  behold,  the  day 
cometh  that  sball  burn  as  an  oven;  and  all  the 
proud,  yea,  and  all  that  do  wickedly,  shall  be  stub- 
ble :  and  the  day  that  cometh  shall  burn  them  up, 
saith  the  Lord  of  hosts,  that  it  shall  leave  them 
neither  root  nor  branch."  If  this  language  is  to 
be  understood  according  to  its  most  literal  sense 
it  means  that  all  the  proud,  yea,  and  all  that  do 
wickedly  shall  be  burnt  up  as  stubble  is  consumed 
that  is  burned  in  an  oven.  There  will  remain  of 
the  proud  and  the  wicked  neither  root  nor  branch. 
To  use  a  simile  ;  we  will  suppose  that  it  is  said  of  a 
tree,  that  the  fire  has  consumed  it,  root  and  branch ; 
would  any  reasonable  person  understand  that  the 
•  tree  now  exists  ?  No,  they  would  not.  Now  if  the 
tree  do  not  exist,  it  surely  does  not  continue  to 
burn.  The  conclusion  then  is  this  ;  if  the  proud 
and  those  who  do  wickedly  are  literally  burnt  up, 
they  will  cease  to  exist,  and  of  course,  they  will 
cease  to  be  tormented.  It  would  be  just  as  reason- 
able to  contend,  that  John  Rogers  is  now  burning 
in  the  fire  that  consumed  him,  as  to  apply  our  text 
4o  prove  the  endlesi  torments  of  the  wicked. 


We  may  ask  why  stubble  should  be  used  to  rcr 
present  the  proud  and  them  who  do  wickedly  ? 
Stubble  is  extremely  combustible,  it  is  consumed 
and  gone  almost  as  soon  as  it  is  set  on  fire.  It 
therefore  shows  that  the  proud  and  them  who  do 
wickedly  will  continue  to  burn  but  a  short  time, 
and  this  idea  is  fully  expressed  in  the  conclusion 
of  our  text;  "it  shall  leave  them  neither  root  nor 
branch."  The  Holy  Gfcost,  by  the  mouth  of 
David,  has  said,  as  recorded  in  the  37th  Psalm  ; 
"  For  yet  a  little  while  and  the  wicked  shall  not 
be  ':  yea,  thou  shalt  diligently  consider  his  place, 
and  it  shall  not  be."  According  to  this  divine 
prediction  the  wicked  will  not  exist  but  a  little 
while  and  of  course  cannot  suffer  but  a  little 
while ;  for  they  surely  cannot  suffer  any  longer 
than  they  exist.  We  read  in  the  10th  of  Proverbs 
as  follows,  "  As  the  whirlwind  passeth,  so  is  the 
wicked  no  more  ;  but  the  righteous  is  an  everlast- 
ing foundation." 

Not  only  does  the  text  under  consideration  ful- 
ly disprove  the  idea  to  which  it  is  usually  applied, 
but  the  several  passages  already  quoted  equally 
disprove  it.  To  their  united  testimony  we  may 
add  what  candid,  unprejudiced  reason  seems  to 
suggest  on  the  same  subject.  *J^ 

It  is  granted  by  all  who  profess  to  believe  in  a 
Supreme  Being,  that  he  is  a  Being  of  infinite 
goodness.  Now  we  know  that  it  is  not  the  nature 
of  goodness  to  harm  any  creature,  but  to  do  good 
to  all.  From  these  plain  self-evident  facts  we  in- 
fer, that  God  will  never  administer  any  kind  of 
affliction  to  any  of  his  creatures,  which  is  not  de- 
signed for  their  benefit.  If  a  creature  be  in  a 
state  of  keen  distress,  from  which  there  is  no  hope 
of  recovery,  to  put  an  end  to  this  creature's  ex- 
istence is  a  favor.  That  very  fond  and  compas- 
sionate love,  which  renders  the  parent  solicitous 
for  the  child'i  recovery  from  pain  and  sickness, 


100 

jmd  impels  to  every  possible  exertion  which  pro- 
mises the  least  relief,  will,  the  moment  all  hope  is 
gone,  seek  repose  in  the  dissolution  of  nature. — 
Were  it  proposed  to  a  kind  parent,  whose  tender 
offspring  is  struggling  with  the  distress  of  a  most 
painful  complaint,  that  though  the  child  could  not 
be  cured,  it  might  be  preserved  in  its  present  situa- 
tion  to  old  age,  would  this  be  chosen  rather  than 
that  these  pains  should  subside  in  the  peaceful 
sleep  of  death  ?  The  evident  fact  is,  that  good- 
ness is  never  willing  to  prolong  pain  and  dis- 
tress unless  it  is  seen  how  this  may  prove  bene- 
ficial to  the  subject.  It  therefore  belongs  to  those 
who  contend  for  the  doctrine  of  endless  punish- 
ment, to  cast  in  their  minds  whether  they  can  justi- 
fy themselves  in  giving  to  the  Father  of  our  spirits 
a  character,  which  for  cruelty  infinitely  exceeds 
the  most  unfeeling  tyrant  which  has  ever  oppressed 
mankind. 

The  faithful  word  of  divine  inspiration,  as 
recorded  in  the  57th  chapter  of  Isaiah  informs  us, 
that  God  "  will  not  contend  forever,  neither  will  he 
be  always  wroth :  for  the  spirit  should  fail  before 
him,  and  the  souls  which  he  has  made."  And  by 
the  same  divine  authority  we  have  it  recorded  in 
the  3d  chapter  of  the  Lamentations,  that  the  "  Lord 
will  not  cast  off  forever  :  but  though  he  cause  grief, 
yet  will  he  have  compassion  according  to  the  mul- 
titude of  his  mercies.  For  he  doth  not  afflict  wil- 
lingly, nor  grieve  the  children  of  men." 

While  these  last  quoted  passages  prove,  beyond 
all  contradiction,  that  God  will  not  punish  his 
creatures  with  an  endless  punishment,  they  as  ful- 
ly show  that  the  design  of  punishment  is  not  to  an- 
nihilate the  soul  that  God  has  made.  The  reason 
which  God  renders  in  the  passage  quoted  from 
Isaiah,  why  he  will  not  contend  forever  nor  be  al- 
ways wroth  is  because  the  spirit  would  fail  before 
him,  and  the  soul  which  he  has  made. 


Iftl 

We  may  now  consider  the  following  important 
question,  (viz.)  How  is  it  possible  that  all  the 
proud,  yea,  and  all  that  do  wickedly  should  be 
burnt  up  root  and  branch,  and  yet  be  saved  in  the 
Lord  Jesus  with  an  everlasting  salvation  ?  And 
furthermore,  how  can  the  wicked  be  saved  by  the 
grace  of  God,  if  the  words  spoken  by  David  be 
true,  where  he  says,  as  before  quoted ;  "  For  )  et  a 
a  little  while  and  the  wicked  shall  not  be  ?"  If  the 
wicked  are  not  allowed  to  exist,  how  can  they  be 
saved  ? 

Reply.  Here  we  think  is  a  proper  place  to  bring  in 
the  scripture  doctrine  of  regeneration  or  new  birth, 
not  with  a  design  to  treat  it  by  way  of  explaining 
it,  but  by  application.  Jesus  said  to  the  Jews  ; 
"  Ye  are  of  your  father  the  devil,  and  the  lusts  of 
your  father  ye  will  do." — Now  suppose  any  of 
these  Jews  were  converted  by  the  spirit  of  truth 
after  our  Saviour's  ascention  to  glory,  they  there- 
by became  the  children  of  God.  If  so,  they  were 
no  longer  the  children  of  the  devil.  If  any  of  the 
children  of  the  devil  can  by  regenerating  grace, 
become  the  children  of  God,  then  by  the  same 
grace  all  the  children  of  the  devil  may  become  the 
children  of  God.  Suppose  this  should  ever  be  ac- 
complished would  not  the  predictions  of  the  Pro- 
phets be  fulfiled  ?  Where  are  the  wicked  ?  There 
are  none. — Where  is  his  place  ?  As  there  are  none 
wicked  so  there  is  no  place  for  the  wicked.  Where 
is  the  stubble  ?  the  fire  has  passed  over  it — there 
is  no  stubble. — Look  carefully,  see  if  the  root  be 
not  left — the  root  is  all  consumed. — Are  the 
branches  spared  ?  There  is  neither  root  nor  branch 
left. 

Now  turn  your  eyes  and  behold  the  innumera- 
ble multitude  of  all  nations  on  mount  Zion.  From 
whence  came  they  ?  These  are  they  who  came 
out  of  great  tribulation,  and  have  washed  their 


made  them  white  in  the  blood  of  the 
lamb.  They  have  been  translated  out  of  the  king- 
dom of  darkness  into  the  kingdom  of  God's  dear 
Son. 

The  hearers  will  now  ask  if  we  are  to  explain 
the  text  under  consideration  in  this  way  ?  Is  it  in 
reality  a  fact  that  this  text  which  has  been  so  often 
quoted  to  terrify  us  with  the  apprehensions  of  nev- 
er ending  burnings,  does,  in  reality,  mean  the 
purification  of  all  who  do  wickedly,  and  the  total 
destruction  of  wickedness  ? 

Reply  :  As  we  have  already  proved,  that  the 
text  can  neither  be  applied  to  the  endles  duration 
of  punishment,  nor  yet  to  the  annihilation  of  th« 
proud  and  them  that  do  wickedly,  we  may  now 
proceed  to  enquire  for  its  true  application,  by 
bringing  it  into  connection  with  other  passages  in 
particular  where  similar  language  is  used,  arid  with 
those  generally  which  express  the  design  and  will 
of  God  concerning  sinners.  By  a  careful  atten- 
tion to  this  method,  we  shall  be  likely  to  avoid  any 
application  that  would  be  in  opposition  to  the  re- 
Tealed  testimony. 

"  For,  behold,  the  day  cometh  that  shall  burn  as 
an  oven."  What  day  is  this?  A  little  before  in 
the  preceding  chapter,  the  Prophet  uses  the  follow- 
ing words ;  "  Behold  I  will  send  my  messenger 
and  he  shall  prepare  the  way  before  me  ;  and  the 
Lord,  whom  ye  seek,  shall  suddenly  come  to  his 
temple,  even  the  messenger  of  the  covenant,  whom 
ye  delight  in  ;  behold  he  shall  come  saith  the  Lord 
of  hosts.  But  who  may  abide  the  day  of  his  corn- 
ing ?  and  who  shall  stand  when  he  appeal eth  ?  for 
he  is  like  a  refiners  fire,  and  like  fuller's  soap. 
And  he  shall  set  as  a  refiner  and  purifier  of  silver; 
and  he  shall  purify  the  sons  of  Levi,  and  purge 
them  as  gold  and  silver,  that  they  may  offer  unto 
the  Lord  an  offering  in  righteousness." 


103 

The  messenger  here  promised,  who  should  prfc* 
pare  the  way  before  the  Lord,  we  find  in  John  the 
baptist,  accordingly  as  we  read  Luke  1st,  "  And 
t.hou,cbild,shalt  be  called  the  prophet  of  the  highest* 
for  thou  sha It  go  before  the  face  of  the  Lord  to 
prepare  his  ways."  Compare  also,  Isaiah  40th,  3d, 
with  Luke  3d  4th.  By  bringing  these  scriptures 
together  we  learn,  that  the  day  spoken  of  in  this  3d 
chapter  of  Malachi  was  the  time  of  the  coming  of 
Christ  who  is  called  the  messenger  of  the  covenant, 
who  should  be  as  a  refiner's  fire  and  like  fuller's 
toap.  There  is  no  doubt  then  but  this  scripture 
was  a  prophecy  of  the  gospel  day,  and  of  its 
refining  and  purifying  mankind. 

We  shall  in  the  next  place  prove  that  the  day 
spoken  of  in  our  text  is  the  same  day  of  which 
mention  is  made  in  the  preceding  chapter,  which 
we  have  shewn  to  be  the  gospel  day.  Following 
our  text  the  Prophet  goes  on  to  describe  what  shall 
take  place  on  this  day  that  shall  burn  as  an  oven, 
&c.  but  before  he  closes  the  subject  he  says ;  "  Be- 
hold, I  will  send  you  Elijah  the  Prophet  before  the 
coming  of  the  great  and  dreadful  day  of  the  Lord. 
And  he  shall  turn  the  heart  of  the  fathers  to  the 
children,  and  the  heart  of  the  children  to  the  fath- 
ers, lest  Income  and  smite  the  earth  with  a  curse.17 
The  header  will  observe  that  he  who  is  called  Eli- 
jah in  the  Old  Testament  is  called  Elias  in  the  New. 
Speaking  of  John,  Jesus  says,  as  recorded  Mat. 
11;"  For  this  is  he  of  whom  it  is  written,  behold 
I  send  my  messenger  before  thy  face,  which  shall 
prepare  thy  way  before  thee. — And  if  ye  will  re- 
ceive it,  this  is  Elias  which  was  for  to  come.'* 
Thus  as  evidently  as  we  can  prove  any  thing  from 
the  scriptures,  we  prove  that  the  day  that  is  men- 
tioned five  or  six  times  in  these  two  chapters  is  the 
gospel  day. 

The  Prophet  Isaiah  speaks  of  this  burning  day 
in  hi*  9tb  chapter  as  follows  ;  "  For  erery  battle 


104 

of  the  warrior  is  with  confused  noise,  and  garments 
rolled  in  blood,  but  this  shall  be  with  burning  and 
full  of  fire.  For  unto  us  a  child  is  born,  unto  us.a 
son  is  given,  and  the  government  shall  be  upon  hi* 
shoulder  :  and  his  name  shall  be  called  Wonderful, 
Counsellor,  the  mighty  God,  the  everlasting  Fath- 
er, the  Prince  of  peace.  Of  the  increase  of  his 
government  and  peace  there  shall  be  no  end." 

As  it  is  granted  by  all  that  this  prophecy  alludes 
to  Christ  and  to  the  peace  which  he  has  made  by 
the  blood  of  his  cross,  it  may  be  proper  to  ask 
whether  it  be  not  reasonable  to  conclude  that  this 
burning  is  the  same  as  mentioned  in  our  text,  and 
this  fuel  of  fire  the  same  as  stubble  IH  our  text  ?  If 
what  is  so  reasonable  be  allowed,  it  seems  perfectly 
•afe  to  allow,  that  the  true  meaning  of  the  passage 
under  discussion,  is  the  purifying  of  the  wicked  "  by 
the  spirit  of  judgement  and  the  spirit  of  burning." 

The  fire  which  distinguishes  the  day  and  work 
of  the  great  sanctifier  of  sinners  is  described  by 
John,  the  fore  runner  of  Jesus,  in  Mat.  3, "  I  indeed 
baptise  you  with  water  unto  repentance  ;  but  he 
that  cometh  after  me  is  mightier  than  I,  whose 
shoes  I  am  not  worthy  to  bear ;  he  shall  baptise 
you  with  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  with  fire  ;  whose  fan  is 
in  his  hands,  and  he  will  thoroughly  purge  his  floor 
and  gather  his  wheat  into  his  garner,  biu  he  will 
burn  up  the  chaff  with  unquenchable  fire."  Thus 
the  true  spiritual  baptism  of  Jesus  is  with  the  Holy- 
Ghost  and  with  fire  ;  and  with  the  fire,  with  which 
he  baptises,  he  burns  up  the  chaff. 

In  1st  Corinthians,  3d  St.  Paul  has  a  passage 
which  is  remarkably  similar  to  the  one  we  are  in- 
vestigating ;  it  reads  thus ;  "  Now  if  any  man 
build  upon  this  foundation,  gold,  silver,  precious 
stones,  wood,  hay,  stubble  ;  every  man's  work  shall 
be  made  manifest :  for  the  day  shall  declare  it,  be- 
cause it  shall  be  revealed  by  fire ;  and  the  fire  shall 
try  every  man's  work  of  what  sort  it  is.  If 


103 

man's  work  abide  which  he  hath  built  there- 
upon, he  shall  receive  a  reward.  If  any  man's 
work  shall  be  burnt,  he  shall  suffer  loss  :  but  he 
himself  shall  be  saved ;  yet  so  as  by  fire."  In  this 
passage  wicked  works  are  called  stubble  ;  these 
works  are  to  be  burnt  up,  and  the  wicked  saved  ; 
yet  so  as  by  fire.  Now  if  we  allow  scripture  to 
explain  scripture,  we  may  be  satisfied  of  the  true 
meaning  of  our  text.  "All  the  proud,  and  all 
them  that  do  wickedly"  must  pass  the  fire  of  the 
day  of  the  Lord.  In  the  character  of  the  proud 
and  the  wicked  they  must  be  destroyed  root  and 
branch,  and  be  translated  into  the  kingdom  of 
God's  dear  Son. 

We  may  now  proceed  to  show,  that  this  sense  of 
the  passage  under  consideration  is  agreeable  to 
the  scripture  testimony  generally  in  respect  to 
God's  will  and  revealed  purpose  concerning  sinners. 

In  St.  Paul's  1st  epistle  to  Timothy  he  exhorts 
him  to  pray  and  give  thanks  for  all  men,  and  as  a 
reason  for  so  doing,  he  says  ;  "  For  this  is  good  and 
acceptable  in  the  sight  of  God  our  Saviour ;  who 
will  have  all  men  to  be  saved  and  to  come  unto 
the  knowledge  of  the  truth."  In  his  epistle  to  the 
Ephesians,  the  same  author  says ;  "  Wherein  he 
hath  abounded  towards  us  in  all  wisdom  and  pru- 
dence ;  having  made  known  unto  us  the  mystery 
of  his  will,  according  to  his  good  pleasure,  which 
he  hath  purposed  in  himself:  that  in  the  dispensa- 
tion of  the  fullness  of  times  he  might  gather  to- 
gether in  one  all  things  in  Christ,  both  which 
are  in  heaven  and  which  are  on  earth ;  even  in 
him."  According  to  these  passages  it  is  the  will 
of  God  that  all  men  should  be  saved,  should  be. 
gathered  together  in  Christ.  And  Jesus  himself 
says  ;  "  I  came  down  from  heaven,  not  to  do  mine 
own  will,  but  the  will  of  him  that  sent  me."  If  God 
will  the  salvation  of  all  men,  and  Jesus  came  to  do 
his  Father's  will  it  is  evident  that  he  came  to  save 
14 


106 

all  men.  Again  the  Saviour  says  ;  "  For  God  sent 
not  his  Son  into  the  world  to  condemn  the  world  ; 
but  that  the  world  through  him  might  he  saved." 
The  forerunner  of  Jesus  sajs  of  him;  "  Behold  the 
Lamb  of  God  that  taketh  away  the  sin  of  the 
world."  When  the  religious  people  of  the  Jews 
found  fault  with  Christ  because  he  was  a  friend  to 
publicans  and  sinners,  lie  informed  them  that  he 
came  to  call  sinners  to  repentance,  and  to  seek  and 
to  save  that  which  was  lost.  In  a  word,  the  minis- 
try of  the  gospel  is  a  ministry  of  reconciliation, 
and  testifies  "  that  God  was  in  Christ  Jesus  recon- 
ciling the  world  to  himself,  not  imputing  their 
trespasses  unto  them." 

Not  only  does  the  testimony  of  Jesus,  which  we 
have  quoted,  prove  that  sinners  are  the  objects  of 
God's  love  and  the  subjects  of  gospel  salvation, 
but  St.  Paul  reasons  to  the  same  point ;  in  his  epis- 
tle to  the  Romans  he  sa}  s  ;  "  But  God  commendeth 
his  love    toward  us,  in  that,  while  we  were  yet  sin- 
ners,  Christ  died  for  us."     To   the  Ephesians  he 
says ;  "  But  God,   who  is  rich  in  mercy,  for  the 
great  love  wherewith   he   loved  us,  even  when  we 
were  dead  in  sins,  hath  quickened  us  together  with 
Christ."     Nothing  is  more  obvious  than  that  it  was 
the  gracious  design  of  the  coming  of  Christ,  and 
the  introduction  of  the  gospel  dispensation,  to  save 
sinners  from  their  sins,  purify  them  by  the  spirit  of 
grace,  and  reconcile  them  to  God.     But  how  en- 
tirely repugnant  to  all  this  is  the  opinion  to  which 
our  text  is  usually  applied.     In  room  of  humbling 
the  proud,  and  bringing  sinners  to  repentance,  it  is 
believed  that  God  will  exercise  unmerciful  wrath 
on  his  erring  offspring  to  all  eternity.    Though  the 
text  carries  not  the  least  intimation  of  any  such 
thing  in  it,  yet  so  fixed  is  this  notion,  by  the  force 
of  tradition,  that  it  seems  almost  as  hard  to  disuade 
people  from  it,  as  it  is  for  a  camel  to  go  through 
the  eye  of  a  needle. 


107 

That  we  may  understand  the  ways  of  God  with 
the  proud  and  them  who  do  wickedly,  it  may 
be  proper  to  notice  some  instances  which  are  re- 
corded for  our  instruction. — That  of  Nebuchad- 
nezzar king  of  Babylon  will  not  be  considered  un- 
appropriate.  Great  was  the  pride  of  this  prince 
and  great  was  his  wickedness.  Notwithstanding 
God  had  warned  him  in  a  dream  which  Daniel  the 
Prophet  expounded  to  him,  and  notwithstanding 
the  Prophet  most  affectionately  counselled  him  to 
break  off  his  sins  by  righteousness,  and  his  iniqui- 
ties by  shewing  mercy  to  the  poor  ;  yet  such  was 
the  pride  of  his  wicked  heart,  that  it  seems  he  gave 
no  heed  to  these  kind  and  seasonable  monitions, 
"  but  at  the  end  of  twelve  months  he  walked 
in  the  palace  of  the  kingdom  of  Babylon.  The 
king  spoke  and  said,  is  not  this  great  Babylon  that 
I  have  built  for  the  house  of  the  kingdom,  by  the 
might  of  my  power,  and  for  the  honor  of  my  ma- 
jesty ?  While  the  word  was  in  the  king's  mouth 
there  fell  a  voice  from  heaven,  saying,  O  king 
Nebuchadnezzar,  to  thee  it  is  spoken  ;  the  kingdom 
is  departed  from  thee ;  and  they  shall  drive  thee 
from  men,  and  thy  dwelling  shall  be  with  the  beasts 
of  the  field :  they  shall  make  thee  to  eat  grass  like 
oxen,  and  seven  times  shall  pass  over  thee,  until 
thou  know  that  the  Most  High  ruleth  in  the  king- 
dom of  men,  and  giveth  it  to  whomsoever  he  will." 
All  this  God  accomplished  on  this  proud  monarch, 
until  his  body  was  wet  with  the  dew  of  heaven,  his 
hairs  were  grown  like  eagle's  feathers,  and  his  nails 
like  bird's  claws."  This  humbled  his  heart,  return- 
ed to  him  his  understanding,  raised  his  eyes  to  heav- 
en, and  this  is  his  confession;  *  Now  I, Nebuchad- 
nezzar praise,  and  extol,  and  honor  the  King  of 
heaven,  all  whose  works  are  truth,  and  his  ways 
judgment ;  and  those  that  walk  in  prye  he  is  able 
abase."  Was  every  child  of  Adam  a  Nebuchad- 
nezzar, and  every  heart  as  proud  as  his,  how  easy 


would  it  be  for  infinite  wisdom,  power  and  good- 
ness to  humble  them  all  to  a  due  sense  of  their  de- 
pendence on  God.  Such  as  was  the  result  of  God's 
dealings  with  this  haughty  prince,  we  may  reason- 
ably suppose  will  be  the  result  of  his  chastising 
providence  on  "  all  the  proud  and  all  them  that  do 
wickedly"  for  "  those  that  walk  in  pride  he  is  able 
to  abase." 

Though  the  means  which  our  heavenly  Father 
may  use  with  his  disobedient  offspring  may  vary, 
we  have  no  reason  to  believe  that  his  designs  are 
partial,  we  have  no  evidence  to  support  the  notion 
that  he  will  humble  some  and  grant  them  mercy ; 
but  punish  others  eternally. 

Another  particular  instance  of  God's  dealings 
with  one  who  did  extremely  wickedly  is  the  case 
of  David  king  of  Israel.  The  crimes  which  this 
monarch  committed  being  pointed  out  to  him  in  the 
faintest  simile  which  their  nature  would  admit,  he 
adjudged  the  criminal  to  death — But  what  were 
the  dealings  of  God  towards  him.  He  was  visited 
with  such  awful  calamities  in  his  family  as  were  as 
much  worse  than  death,  as  his  crimes  were  more 
heinous  than  the  one  represented  to  him  by  the 
prophet  Nathan,  for  which  he  said,  the  man  that 
hath  done  this  shall  surely  die.  But  was  David 
finally  rejected  from  the  favour  of  God  ? — 
j^o,  for  he  sang  "  of  mercy  and  of  judgment,"  and 
praised  God  whom  he  acknowledged  to  be  his  sal- 
vation. 

It  surely  will  not  be  contended,  that  the  Divine 
Being  pays  any  peculiar  respect  to  kings,  by  deal- 
ing with  their  crimes  in  a  more  lenient  manner, 
than  he  does  with  the  crimes  of  others.  It  should 
be  allowed  that  the  higher  a  man's  station  is  in  so- 
ciety the  greater  his  criminality  if  he  use  his  power 
contrary  to  his  duty. 

If  then,  the  king  of  Israel  could  be  punished 
here  in  this  life,  according  to  the  offence  which  he 


109 

had  committed,  and  if  he  were  duly  humbled  anfl 
received  into  favour,  have  the  wicked  now  any  rea- 
son to  expect  to  escape  the  righteous  judgements 
of  God  ?  And  have  the  religious  any  reason  to 
say,  that  God  will  never  humble  the  wicked  and 
receive  them  all  to  mercy  ?  Was  every  child  of 
Adam  a  murderous  David,  and  had  sins  as  great  as 
his  stained  every  soul  :  Yet  would  every  humble, 
penitent  believer  in  Jesus  say,  "Behold  the  Lamb 
of  God,  which  taketh  away  the  sin  of  the  world." 

It  is  allowed,  if  there  be  some  more  stiff-necked 
than  others,  and  harder  to  be  brought  into  humil- 
iation, we  may  not  yet  have  mentioned  them ;  but 
we  shall  find  them  in  the  case  of  the  pharisee.  He, 
who  by  the  mighty  power  of  grace  was  converted 
from  a  spiritually  proud,  and  persecuting  pharisee, 
to  a  humble,  meek  disciple  of  Jesus,  whom  he  had 
persecuted,  is  such  a  trophy  of  divine  mercy,  we 
now  hold  him  up  before  you  all  as  an  example  of 
God's  dealings  with  all  the  proud  and  all  them 
which  do  wickedly."  What  does  St.  Paul  say  of 
himself?  "  This  is  a  faithful  saying,  and  worthy  of 
all  acceptation,  that  Christ  Jesus  came  into  the 
world  to  save  sinners,  of  whom  I  am  chief.  How- 
beit,  for  this  cause  I  obtained  mercy,  that  in  me 
first  Jesus  Christ  might  shew  forth  all  long-suffer- 
ing, for  a  pattern  to  them  which  should  hereafter 
believe  on  him  to  life  everlasting."  Was  every 
son  and  daughter  of  human  nature  a  persecuting 
Saul,  yet  there  would  be  hope  that  they  might  all 
be  brought  to  say,  "  Lord,  what  wilt  thou  have  me 
to  do? — But  when  it  pleased  him  who  separated 
me  from  my  mother's  womb  and  called  me  by  his 
grace,  to  reveal  his  son  in  me,  immediately  I  con- 
ferred not  with  flesh  and  blood." 

Is  it  necessary  to  name  a  fourth  particular  in- 
stance, and  shall  it  be  selected  from  among  the  er- 
ring daughters  of  Eve  ?  Consider  then  the  case  of 
Mary  Magdalene  out  of  whom  the  bruiser  of  the  ser- 


head  cast  seven  devils.  Was  every  man,  wo- 
man and  child  in  the  world  as  possessed  as  was  this 
woman,  who  was  a  sinner,  yet  might  the  grace  of 
the  Redeemer  bring  them  all  to  wash  his  feet  with 
the  tears  of  penitance,  and  annoint  him  with  the 
precious  ointment  of  much  love  and  humble  grati- 
tude. 

A  hope  is  entertained  that  the  hearer  will  not  be 
disposed  to  say,  if  all  this  be  true  we  may  indulge 
in  every  sin  and  abomination.  Of  the  whole  seven 
that  were  cast  out  this  argument  is  the  worst. 
This  is  ingratitude  the  basest  of  all  the  serpent 
tribe. 

Did  the  king  of  Babylon  find  by  experience 
that  because  God  was  able  to  abase  those  who 
walk  in  pride,  it  was  therefore  as  well  to  walk  in 
pride  as  to  be  humble  ?  Did  David  find  by  expe- 
rience, that  sin  against  God  and  his  fellow  crea- 
tures was  attended  with  no  evil  ?  Must  sin  be  rolled 
as  a  sweet  morsel  under  the  tongue  ?  Must  a  guilty 
conscience  be  esteemed  as  a  friend  that  sticketh, 
closer  than  a  brother  ?  Our  argument  to  prove  the 
doctrine  of  the  impartial  goodness  of  God  towards 
all  men,  does  in  no  sense  deny  his  divine  severity 
towards  the  wicked. 

By  understanding  our  text  in  the  way  we  have 
explained  it,  we  discover  its  harmony  with  other 
passages  where  similar  language  is  used  ;  we  also 
see  its  agreement  with  the  united  testimony  of 
scripture  respecting  the  divine  will  and  purpose 
concerning  the  reconciliation  and  salvation  of  sin- 

O 

ners. 

But  in  the  common  way  of  understanding  this 
passage,  it  is  made  to  contradict  the  whole  scheme 
of  the  gospel,  and  to  represent  every  subject  of 
divine  grace  as  an  object  of  neverending  wrath. 
Such  absurdities  are  constantly  reiterated  from  our 
pulpits,  and  in  almost  all  sermons  the  glaring  con- 
tradiction is  urged  on  the  hearers,  that  sinners  are 


Ill 

the  objects  of  divine  love,  and  eternal  vengenee  ; 
that  Jesus  came  into  our  world  for  the  express 
purpose  of  saving  sinners,  and  that  sinners  must  be 
endlessly  miserable.  There  can  be  no  wonder 
that  the  common  people  are  getting  to  be  weary 
of  such  preaching,  nor  is  there  any  just  reason  of 
complaint  if  attempts  are  making  to  effect  a  refor- 
mation. 

Not  only  is  it  our  duty  to  endeavour  to  explain 
particular  passages  in  a  way  to  bring  them  into  the 
general  theme  of  the  scriptures,  but  due  attention 
should  be  paid  to  understand  the  scriptures  in  a 
way  to  agree  with  the  disposition  and  conduct 
which  the  religion  of  Jesus  Christ  requires.  Sup- 
pose then,  that  we  adopt  the  common  opinion  of 
our  text,  and  contend  that  the  Holy  Ghost  moved 
the  Prophet  to  set  forth  the  endless  misery  of  "  all 
the  proud  and  all  them  that  do  wickedly,"  in  the 
language  of  this  passage,  will  it  then  be  easy  to  re- 
concile this  with  the  disposition  which  onr  religion 
requires  us  to  exercise  towards  our  enemies,  afiRl 
with  our  duty  to  mankind  ?  Can  we  see  the  pro- 
priety of  loving  those  who  we  believe  are  the  ob- 
jects of  the  unmerciful  vengenee  of  our  Creator, 
of  praying  for  those  who  we  believe  are  predesti- 
nated to  endless  sufferings. 

But  if  we  understand  our  text  and  the  scriptures 
in  general  to  teach  the  doctrine  of  reconciliation, 
and  to  support  the  joy,  inspiring  belief  that  he,  who 
gave  himself  a  ransom  for  all  men,  will  finally  see 
of  the  travail  of  his  soul  and  be  satisfied  ;  that  he 
who  sets  a  refiner  and  purifier  of  silver,  will  even- 
tually purify  the  wicked  from  all  sin,  humble  the 
proud,  and  give  all  to  know  the  Lord,  whom  to 
know  is  life  eternal,  it  seems  that  the  Christian  duty 
of  loving  all  men,  doing  good  to  all  men,  and  pray- 
ing for  all  men  is  perfectly  consistent  with  such,a 
belief. 


112 

There  is  another  particular  rule  according  td 
which  particular  passages,  and  indeed  the  scrip- 
tures in  general  should  be  explained  ;  that  is,  the 
knowledge  of  the  truth  gives  joy  to  the  heart. 
St.  Paul  informs  us,  that  "  chanty  rejoiceth  in  the 
truth."  It  is  then  an  evidence  that  we  rightly  un- 
derstand the  scripture,  if  the  love  of  God  shed 
abroad  in  the  heart  can  rejoice  in  the  sentiment. 
This  Christian  audience  is  now  affectionately  cal- 
led on  to  try  the  sentiment  usually  supported  by  the 
text  under  consideration,  by  the  rule  last  suggust- 
ed.  If  you  can  truly  say  that  you  sincerely  love 
all  mankind,  that  you  entertain  that  charity  for  all, 
which  suffereth  long  and  is  kind,  can  you  say  that 
you  rejoice  in  the  belief,  that  millions  of  your  fel- 
low creatures  are  predistinated  to  endless  suffer- 
ings? This  you  all  acknowledge  is  impossible. 
How  then  can  God,  who  is  love  itself,  ordain  a  dis- 
pensation of  severity  the  design  of  which  is  to  per- 
petuate the  sufferings  of  his  own  offspring  as  long 
?*s  he  shall  exist  ? 

My  brethren,  "  there  is  peace  in  believing  and 
joy  in  the  Holy  Ghost."  But  is  there  any  peace 
or  joy  in  believing  in  this  doctrine  of  never  ending 
misery  ?  There  surely  is  not.  But  if  we  really  be- 
lieve in  the  divine  testimony,  which  plainly  shows 
that  it  is  the  plan  of  God,  manifested  in  Christ  Jesus, 
to  finish  sin  and  to  make  an  end  of  transgressions, 
to  take  away  our  sins,  to  reconcile  the  world  to 
himself ;  and  that  all  his  judgments  and  his  mercies 
are  wisely  directed  to  effect  this  blessed  object, 
we  can  "rejoice  with  joy  unspeakable,  and  full  of 
glory.''  But  while  we  rejoice  in  the  consoling  be- 
lief, that  all  the  judgments  of  God  will  finally  even- 
tuate in  the  reduction  of  "  all  the  proud  and  all 
them  that  do  wickedly"  to  obedience,  let  us  be 
wise  for  ourselves,  and  adorn  the  doctrine  of  God 
our  Saviour,  by  doing  justly,  loving  mercy  and 
walking  humbly  before  God. 


I    '',:•  No-a 

I  LECTURE  SERMON, 

DELIVERED  AT  THB 

SECOND  UNIVERSALIST  MEETING,  IN  BOSTON, 
NOVEMBER  8,  1818. 

BY  HOSEA  BALLOU,  PASTOR. 

Published  Semi-Monthly,  by  Henry  Bowen,  Devonshire-street. 

DEUTERONOMY,  xxxiii.  16, 17. 

*'  Let  the  blttring  come  upon  the  head  of  Joseph,  and  upon  the  top  of  the 
head  of  him  that  was  separated  from  hit  brethren.  His  glory  is  like  tht 
firstling  of  his  bullock,  and  his  horns  are  like  the  horns  of  unicorns  : 
with  them  he  shall  push  the  people  together  to  the  ends  of  the  earth  ; 
*nd  they  are  the  ten  thousands  of  Ephraim,  and  they  are  the  thousand; 
•/  Manasseh." 

THE  events  which  the  divine  historian  has  re- 
corded, respecting  Joseph  the  son  of  the  patriarch 
Jacob,  form  a  subject  remarkably  instructing  to 
every  attentive  observer. 

The  treatment  he  received  from  his  brethren 
was  of  such  a  peculiar  cast,  that  Moses  the  prophet 
of  the  Lord,  more  than  four  hundred  years  after- 
ward, in  the  blessing  pronounced  on  his  family, 
makes  the  honorable  mention  of  his  being  separat- 
ed from  his  brethren  which  we  find  in  our  text. 

This  memorable  separation,  the  causes  which  oc- 
casioned it,  the  circumstances  which  attended  it ; 
the  wisdom  and  goodness  of  God  manifested  by  it, 
and  the  rich  blessing  which  finally  came  on  him  in 
consequence  of  his  having  been  separated  from  hi* 
brethren,  will  form  matter  for  the  first  general 
section  of  the  present  discourse. 
15 


114 

Moved  with  envy,  Joseph's  brethren  sold  him  tw 
the  Tshmelites,  who  were  going  from  Gilead  with 
spies  into  Egypt,  where  Joseph  was  again  sold  for  a 
bond  slave.  The  causes  which  seemed  to  occasion 
this  deadly  envy  were  the  following.  Joseph  was 
the  son  of  his  father's  old  age,  and  until  about  the 
time  of  his  being  sold,  the  only  child  of  the  belov- 
ed Rachel.  It  seems  rather  difficult  to  determine 
whether  Benjamin  was  born,  or  not  at  this  time. 
The  faithful  historian  informs  us,  that  "  Israel 
loved  Joseph  more  than  all  his  children,  because 
he  was  the  son  of  his  old  age."  By  this  it  would 
rather  seem  that  Benjamin  was  not  born  for  he 
was  more  especially  the  son  of  Jacob's  old  age  than 
Joseph.  But  the  scripture  chronology  supposes 
that  Benjamin  was  born,  and  of  course,  that  Rachel 
<lied  in  the  one  thousand  seven  hundred  and  twen- 
ty ninth  year  before  Christ,  and  that  Joseph  was 
sold  the  same  year.  Such  is  the  nature  of  partial- 
ity it  seldom  avoids  being  seen.  It  was  so  visible 
in  Jacob's  conduct,  that  it  created  an  unhappy  jeal- 
ousy in  the  minds  of  the  rest  of  the  family,  so  that 
they  "  hated  Joseph,  and  could  not  speak  peacea- 
bly unto  him." 

Nor  was  this  parental  partiality  the  only  occa- 
sion of  that  cruel  envy  which  moved  Joseph's 
brethren  against  him ;  for  we  are  informed  that 
heaven  inspired  him  with  two  remarkable  dreams, 
which  evidently  suggested  the  idea  of  his  future 
superiority  over  them,  and  their  bowing  down  to 
him  as  to  a  superior.  An  envious  mind  is  always 
in  the  dark.  Had  these  brethren  been  wise,  they 
would  have  seen  no  occasion  to  be  angry  at  their 
brother.  If  their  father  was  imprudent  enough  to 
indulge  an  improper  paitiality  in  favor  of  the  sort 
of  his  old  age,  it  was  far  from  right  to  hate  the  son 
for  the  fault  of  the  father.  If  they  supposed  the 
dreams  which  their  brother  told  were  not  divinelv 

m 

dictated,  but  were  either  the  fruits  of  vain  imagina- 


115 

ations,  or  only  contrived  up  in  order  to  deceive, 
they  might  have  saved  themselves  any  trouble  by 
hein*?  content  to  wait  with  patience  until  time 
should  shew  the  folly  of  all  such  vain  attempts  or 
imaginations. — But  their  hearts  were  not  right ; 
they  therefore  took  the  wrong  way,  the  broad 
road  that  leads  to  destruction.  v 

Full  of  burning,  envy  and  indignation  these  bre- 
thren left  the  family  circle,  the  sacred  tent  of 
venerable  Israel,  in  the  vale  of  Hebron,  and  went 
to  fe'  r1  their  father's  flock  at  Shechem. 

Notwithstanding  Jacob  felt  a  partiality  for 
Joseph,  he  was  by  no  means  unmindful  of  his  other 
children.  He  felt  a  solicitous  concern  for  the  wel- 
fare of  his  absent  sons,  and  proposed  to  Joseph 
that  he  should  go  to  Shechem  to  enquire  for  his 
brethren's  health  and  prosperity.  The  tender  un- 
suspicious youth  was  as  ready  to  obey  as  the  father 
was  to  command.  Without  the  least  hesitation 
or  suspicion  he  sat  off  on  this  errand  of  love.  Lit- 
tle did  the  venerable  patriarch  think  what  treat- 
ment awaited  the  darling  of  his  heart ;  little  did  he 
then  think  of  the  sorrows  which  were  to  overwhelm 
his  soul.  Little  did  the  tender  child  anticipate  the 
cruel  sufferings  which  were  to  reward  his  filial 
obedience  and  fraternal  affection.  Little  did  he 
think,  when  he  parted  with  his  father  in  the  lovely 
vale  of  Hebron,  that  he  should  see  him  no  more 
till  he  should  embrace  him  in  a  strange  land,  where 
he  should  be  a  father  to  his  father,  and  the  lord 
and  support  of  his  brethren. 

When  he  came  to  Shechem  he  was  informed  that 
his  brethren  had  removed  to  Dothan  where  he  im- 
mediately repaired  and  found  them.  But  here  in 
room  of  meeting  the  friendly  eye  and  the  affection- 
ate smile,  and  being  kindly  welcomed  to  peaceful 
tents  of  humble  shepherds,  he  beholds  the  eye  of 
anger  kindled  with  envy,  the  clouded  brow  of 
wrath  foreboding  an  awful  storm,  the  dread  image 


of  hate  drawn  in  each  visage.  In  vain  does  he 
turn  his  innocent  eye  from  one  to  another  in  search 
of  a  kind  protector.  He  is  violently  seized  ,strip- 
cd  of  his  coat  of  many  colours  and  cast  into  a  pit 
that  was  in  the  wilderness.  This  done,  these  un- 
natural brethren  sat  down  to  eat  bread. 

Here  we  may  observe  the  wisdom  and  goodness 
of  God  in  making  use  of  one  sinful  passion  to  con- 
trol  another  so  as  to  cause  the  wrath  of  man  to 
praise  him,  and  to  restrain  the  remainder.  Divine 
providence  so  ordered,  that  at  this  hour  the  tra- 
veling merchants  from  Gilead  arrived  at  this  place, 
which  suggested  the  idea  of  selling  Joseph.  These 
murderous  brethren  had  formed  the  determination, 
in  the  first  place,  to  take  his  life  outright ;  but 
Reuben  wishing  to  deliver  him  out  of  their  hands, 
proposed  to  cast  him  into  the  pit,  where  their  de- 
termination was  to  let  him  die.  But  now  avarice 
gains  so  much  on  anger,  as  by  promising  to  rid 
tfcern  forever  of  their  fear  of  becoming  at  all  de- 
pendent on  Joseph,  that  they  consent  to  sell  him 
for  twenty  pieces  of  silver.  To  attempt  to  de- 
scribe the  feelings  of  Joseph  on  this  trying  occa- 
sion would  be  in  vain.  Poor  solitary  youth,  not 
an  earthly  friend  in  the  wide  world  that  could  ex- 
tend to  him  the  arm  of  deliverance,  or  even  speak 
one  consoling  word.  a  Separated  from  his  bre- 
thren," he  now  moves  along  with  his  unfeeling 
masters,  but  with  what  reluctant  steps.  No  doubt 
he  cast  a  lingering  eye  of  compassion  on  his  perse- 
cutors, and  how  hard  was  the  thought  that  he 
should  see  them  no  more.  With  what  painful  re- 
flections did  his  thoughts  return  to  the  parental 
tent  in  the  lovely  vale  of  Hebron,  how  did  his  bo- 
som swell  with  grief  when  the  pangs  of  everlasting 
adieu  to  the  sacred  circle  of  home,  country  and 
liberty  pierced  his  tortured  soul  ?  But  with  his 
brethren  were  very  different  reflections.  They 
had  fortunately  sold  their  fears  for  twenty  pieces 


of  silver.  As  the  object  of  their  envy  receded 
from  their  sight,  they  sought  repose  in  a  refuge  of 
lies  and  deceit.  They  now  felt  secure  from  the 
humiliating  thought  of  ever  bowing  down  to  their 
brother  or  of  seeing  their  father's  fondness  exercis- 
ed over  the  child  of  his  old  age.  They  now  rend 
the  coat  of  many  colours,dip  it  in  blood  and  carry 
it  to  their  father.  He  knows  the  garment,  and  ex- 
claims ;  "  it  is  my  son's  coat ;  an  evil  beast  hath 
devoured  him  ;  Joseph  is  without  doubt  rent  in 
pieces."  He  mourns  the  untimely  death  of  his 
son,  determined  to  refuse  all  comfort,  and  to  go 
down  to  the  grave,  to  his  son  mourning. 

Let  us  now  notice  the  remarkable  instances  of 
the  wisdom  and  goodness  of  God  manifested  in  all 
this  sinful,  disastrous  conduct  of  the  cruel  sons  of 
Israel,  and  in  the  partiality  of  the  over  fond  father. 

According  to  rational  calculation,  we  may  sup- 
pose, that  if  the  father  of  this  family  had  preserved 
an  impartial  regard  for  his  children,  it  would  have 
been  the  means  of  lengthening  its  tranquility.  If 
Joseph  had  not  dreamed  and  told  the  dreams  which 
served  to  kindle  the  fire  of  envy  in  his  brethren's 
hearts,  it  seems  reasonable  to  suppose  that  they 
might  all  have  lived  harmoniously  and  in  peace. 
But  how  evident  it  is  that  God  overruled  all  these 
circumstances  and  events  for  the  good  of  all  con- 
cerned. How  evident  it  is  that  the  divine  wisdom 
had  the  directing  of  all  these  affairs.  Joseph  is 
now  safe  in  Egypt  the  country  of  his  future  glory, 
excellency  and  usefulness,  but  a  bond  slave,  a 
menial  servant.  Who  could  believe  that  this  de- 
graded condition  lay  on  his  road  to  fame  ?  But 
now  consider  him  accused  by  his  mistress  of  an 
infamous  crime,  consider  him  cast  into  prison. 
Here  again  the  criminality  and  deceit  of  his  ac- 
cusor  is  all  controled  by  heaven  for  the  honor  of 
God,  the  good  of  millions,  the  exaultation  of  the 
innocent  sufferer  and  the  celebration  of  ages. 


118 

Into  the  same  prison  where  Joseph  was  bound, 
the  king  cast  his  chief  butler  and  chief  baker, 
whose  dreams  Joseph  interpreted  agreeably  to  the 
final  verdict  of  his  majesty.  But  the  chief  butler, 
contrary  to  the  request  of  injured  Joseph,  was  so 
elated  with  being  again  restored  to  favor  and  office, 
that  he  forgot  the  young  prisoner  who  for  two  full 
years  more  lay  in  the  prison,  until  the  dreams  of 
Pharoah  brought  him  to  the  butler's  recollection. 
It  was  about  fourteen  years  from  the  time  Joseph 
left  the  sweet  and  tranquil  habitation  of  his  belov- 
ed father  to  the  time  he  was  brought  out  of  prison 
in  Egypt,  to  stand  before  his  majesty  the  king,  to 
interpret  those  remarkable  dreams  by  which  he  was 
warned  of  seven  years  of  great  plenty,  which 
should  be  followed  with  seven  more  of  famine. 
The  wisdom  which  appeared  in  this  long  afflicted 
Hebrew  brought  him  into  favor  with  Pharoah,  who 
appointed  him  to  be  over  his  own  house  and  te 
rule  his  people  according  to  his  will. 

During  the  seven  years  of  plenty  Joseph  used  such 
prudence  and  economy  as  to  lay  up  vast  quantities 
of  corn  in  store  against  the  long  and  severe  famine 
which  he  foresaw  would  visit  the  land. 

When  the  dearth  came  it  was  not  confined  to 
Egypt,  but  extended  over  all  the  face  of  the  earth, 
so  that  all  countries  were  dependent  on  Egypt  for 
bread.  The  famine  was  sore  in  the  land  of  Canaan, 
and  pale  hunger  began  to  threaten  the  extensive 
household  of  Jacob  and  his  sons.  Jacob  therefore 
said  to  his  sons  ;  "  Why  do  you  look  one  upon 
another  ?  1  have  heard  that  there  is  corn  in  Egypt ,: 
gel  you  down  thither,  and  buy  for  us  from  thence; 
that  we  may  live  and  not  die."  They  came  into 
Egypt  and  into  the  presence  of  Joseph;  but  he  was 
so  altered  in  the  space  of  about  twenty  one  years, 
or  perhaps  more,  and  as  they  had  no  thought  of 
seeing  him  at  all,  and  especially  no  expectation  of 
.finding  him  the  lord  of  all  the  land  of  Egypt,  they 


did  not  know  him.  When  they  eame  before  hhta, 
"  they  bowed  down  themselves  before  him  with 
their  faces  to  the  earth."  Joseph  knew  his  brethren ; 
they  were  men  who  had  attained  to  years  before 
he  was  separated  from  them,  and  had  not  altered  so 
much  but  he  knew  them.  He  now  saw  his  first 
dream  fulfilled.  All  his  brethren  who  were  envi- 
ous towards  him,  he  now  sees  on  their  faces  before 
him.  He  treated  them  roughly,  not  because  re* 
venge  was  in  his  heart,  but  to  try  them.  He  re- 
tained Simeon  until  the  rest  should  return  to  the 
relief  of  their  families,  and  bring  Benjamin  down 
to  Egypt.  They  then  conversed  among  them- 
selves, in  the  Hebrew  tongue,  which  they  suppos- 
ed Joseph  did  not  understand,  of  their  sin  against 
their  brother,  and  were  satisfied  that  they  were 
visited  with  evil  for  their  iniquity.  Joseph  un- 
derstood all  they  said,  and  was  greatly  moved  with 
compassion.  After  many  trials  and  sore  difficul- 
ties, at  the  second  time,  when  all  the  sons  of  Israel 
were  together,  and  Joseph  had  the  pleasure  of  see- 
ing his  brother  Benjamin,  perhaps  for  the  first  time, 
he  made  himself  known  to  them.  He  could  no 
longer  contain  himself;  he  wept  aloud  and  said  un- 
to his  brethren,  "  I  am  Joseph  ;  doth  my  father  yet 
live  ?  And  his  brethren  could  not  answer  him  ; 
for  they  were  troubled  at  his  presence.  And 
Joseph  said  unto  his  brethren,  come  near  to  me  I 
pray  you  :  and  they  came  near.  And  he  said  I 
am  Joseph  your  brother,  whom  ye  sold  into 
Egypt.  Now  therefore,  be  not  grieved,  nor  an- 
gry with  yourselves,  that  ye  sold  me  hither  ;  for 

God  did  send  me  before  you  to  preserve  life. 

And  he  fell  upon  his  brother  Benjamin's  neck,  and 
wept ;  and  Benjamin  wept  upon  his  neck.  More- 
over he  kissed  all  his  brethren  and  wept  upon  them; 
arid  after  that  his  brethren  talked  with  him." 

As  the  hearer  is  familiar  with  the  account  of  this 
most  interesting  subject,   we  may  not  be  further 


120 

particular.  It  is  recollected  that  the  whole  family 
came  down  to  Egypt  and  were  nursed  by  Joseph 
and  supported  by  his  bounty.  Now  was  his  second 
dream  accomplished. 

Let  us  notice  in  this  place,  the  words  of  Joseph 
before  recited ;  ff  God  did  send  me  before  you  to 
preserve  life."  Is  it  not  evident,  my  brethren, 
that  the  infinitely  wise,  powerful,  and  good  God 
made  use  of  the  partial  fondness  of  Jacob  as  a 
mean  to  move  Joseph's  brethren  against  him  ?  Is 
it  not  evident  that  the  same  divine  Being  inspired 
Joseph  with  the  two  dreams  which  represented  his 
brethren's  submission  to  him,  and  also  that  of  their 
father  and  mother,  for  the  purpose  of  bringing 
about  the  event  of  Joseph's  being  sold  into  Egypt  ? 
Is  it  not  clear  beyond  all  doubt,  that  all  the  wick- 
edness, envyjhard  heartednfess,  and  deceit  of  which 
the  ten  brethren  were  guilty  was  controledby  the 
wisdom  and  goodness  of  God  in  a  manner  to  pro- 
mote the  highest  honor  of  the  divine  name,  and  the 
best  interest  of  those  most  perverse  and  wicked 
men  ?  And  must  it  not  be  gratefully  acknowledged, 
that  all  the  afflictions  which  came  on  Jacob  and 
his  family,  and  the  afflictions  of  Joseph  were  de- 
signed by  our  heavenly  Father,  for  the  good  of  all 
these  sufferers  ?  It  seems  necessary  to  call  the  at- 
tention of  the  hearer  to  the  considention  of  the 
following  questions  :  Does  the  argument  which  we 
here  maintain  give  to  the  divine  Being  a  good 
character  ?  Is  it  safe  to  have  so  much  confidence  in 
God  as  to  believe,  that  he  manages 'all  the  con- 
cerns of  men  in  a  way  to  promote  their  best  inter- 
est ?  Is  God  so  transcendantly  kind  as  to  turn  our 
own  faults  to  our  advantage  ?  Or  will  you  say, 
that  this  doctrine  is  not  only  too  good  to  be  true, 
but  of  dangerous  tendency,  as  it  lays  no  restraint 
on  men,  but  promises  them  good  for  their  evil  ? 
Reply  :  Is  this  doctrine  any  better  than  was  the 
conduct  of  God  towards  those  envious  brethren 


121 

who  sold  Joseph  ?  And  did  not  these  brethren  ex- 
perience a  most  just  and  ample  retribution  for 
their  sins,  before  they  entered  into  the  enjoyment 
of  the  divine  favor  which  was  brought  about  by 
means  of  their  folly  ?  Is  not  this  doctrine  exactly 
what  the  gospel  holds  up  and  requires  ?  Are  we  not 
forbidden  to  render  evil  for  evil?  And  are  we  not 
commanded  to  render  good  for  evil  ?  "  Be  not 
overcome  of  evil ;  but  overcome  evil  with  good." 
The  blessing  that  came  on  Joseph  seems  to  have 
been,  in  all  respects,  what  his  sufferings  seemed  to 
deserve,  as  ample  as  his  love,  and  as  extensive  as 
his  reasonable  desires.  To  have  it  in  his  power  to 
reward  his  brethren  with  all  the  favour  which  their 
necessities  required  for  all  the  evil  he  had  received 
at  their  hands,  to  make  every  necessary  provision 
for  his  aged  father  and  the  whole  of  his  numerous 
family,  from  which  he  had  been  so  long  separated, 
and  of  supplying  many  countries  with  bread  dur- 
ing a  famine  which  must  have  swept  off  thousands 
of  innocent  children  with  vast  multitudes  of  others, 
had  it  not  been  for  the  treasures  which  were 
laid  up  by  his  wisdom  and  liberally  dispensed  by 
his  goodness,  seems  to  have  been  as  large  and  as 
rich  a  blessing  as  could  be  desired. 

To  show,  by  the  language  of  our  text,  that 
Moses  had  a  meaning  in  view,  beyond  what  re- 
spected the  literality  of  the  subject,  and  to  apply 
our  text  to  Jesus,  who  was  separated  from  his  bre- 
thren, forms  the  second  general  section  of  this  dis- 
course. 

"  His  glory  is  like  the  firstling  of  his  bullock, 
and  his  horns  are  like  the  horns  of  unicorns  :  with 
them  shall  he  push  the  people  together  to  the  ends 
of  the  earth  :  and  they  are  the  ten  thousands  of 
Ephraim,  and  they  are  the  thousands  of  Manasseh." 

The  firstling  of  cattle  is  similar  to  the  first  bora 
among  men.    The  first  born  of  a  family  possessed, 
by  birth  right,  a  previlege  over  the  younger,  as  in 
16 


122 

the  ca?e  of  Esau  and  Jacob.  The  first  born  seem- 
ed to  have  a  power  of  ruling,  and  of  having  the 
younger  branches  of  the  family  in  subjection.  The 
first  born  was  also  considered  holy  unto  God,  as 
were  the  first  fruits  of  the  field  ;  and  the  holiness 
of  the  first  born  and  of  the  first  fruits  was  the  holi- 
ness of  all  which  were  represented  by  them.  This 
part  of  the  text,  which  relates  to  the  firstling  of  the 
oullock,  may  very  fitly  be  applied  to  Joseph  ns 
well  as  Jesus,  who  is  styled  the  "first  born  among 
many  brethren,  the  first  born  from  the  dead,  and 
the  first  born  of  every  creature." 

Joseph  seems  to  have  obtained  the  birth  right  of 
the  first  born  by  a  divine  arrangement,  whereby 
lie  became  the  governor  and  ruler  of  his  numerous 
family,  though  it  is  true  Joseph  was  literally  the 
first  born  of  the  beloved  Rachel.  His  glory  an- 
swered to  his  birth  right,  for  we  see  him  the  ruler 

~        * 

and  kind  father  of  his  brethren. 

But  why  should  Moses  say  ;  "  his  horn?  are  a? 
the  horns  of  unicorns  :  with  them  he  shall  push  the 
people  together  to  the  ends  of  the  earth  :  and  they 
are  the  ten  thousands  of  Ephraim,  and  they  are 
the  thousands  of  Manasseh  ?"  By  horns,  no  doubt 
power  was  intended.  But  how  shall  the  power  of 
Joseph  push  the  people  together  to  the  ends  of 
the  earth  ?  And  how  is  it  that  all  people  thus  unit- 
ed are  the  ten  thousands,  and  thousands,  of  the 
two  sons  of  Joseph  1 

This  language  and  these  sentiments  are  suppos- 
ed to  apply  to  Jesus  in  the  following  manner.  As 
the  horns  of  unicorns  are  the  most  powerful  among 
beasts,  they  are  used  to  represent  the  power  of  the 
Saviour.  And  as  it  is  said,  "  with  them  shall  he 
push  the  people  together  to  the  ends  of  the  earth," 
it  means  the  same  as  was  expressed  by  Jacob  con- 
cerning the  Shiloli  unto  whom  the  gathering  of  the 
people  should  be  ;  and  the  same  as  expressed  by 
Jesus  himself,  when  be  said  ;  "  And  I,  if  I  be  lifted 


123 

up  from  the  earth  will  draw  all  men  unto  me.v 
The  same  is  expressed  by  St.  Paul  to  the  Ephesiaus 
as  follows ;  "  Having  made  known  unto  us  the 
majesty  of  his  will,  according  to  his  good  pleasure, 
which  he  hath  purposed  in  himself :  that  in  the 
dispensation  of  the  fullness  of  times,  he  might  ga- 
ther together  in  one  all  things  in  Christ,  both  which 
are  in  heaven,  and  which  are  on  earth  ;  even  in 
him." 

Jews  and  Gentiles  thus  gathered  into  Jesus  are 
aaid  to  be  the  ten  thousands  of  Ephraim  and  the 
thousands  of  Manasseh.  The  two  sons  of  Joseph 
are  here  used  to  represent  the  two  families,  Jews 
and  Gentiles,  which  in  their  fullness,  are  the  chil- 
dren of  the  "  everlasting  Father  and  Prince  of 
peace." 

When  Jacob  blessed  the  two  sons  of  Joseph, 
being  blind,  Joseph  was  careful  to  present  Ma- 
nasseh, the  first  born,  to  Jacob's  right  hand  and 
Ephraim,  the  younger,  to  his  left,  that  the  first 
born  might  receive  the  appropriate  blessing  which 
belonged  to  his  birth  right ;  but  Jacob  wittingly 
crossed  his  hands  and  laid  his  right  hand  on  the 
head  of  Ephraim  and  his  left  on  the  head  of  Ma- 
nasseh. At  this,  Joseph  endeavored  to  remove  his 
father's  hands,  and  informed  him  that  his  left  hand 
was  on  the  head  of  the  first  born  ;  to  which  he  re- 
plied ;  "  I  know  it,  my  son,  I  know  it :  he  also  shall 
become  a  people,  and  he  also  shall  be  great ;  but 
truly  his  younger  brother  shall  be  greater  than 
he,  and  his  seed  shall  become  a  multitude  of  na- 
tions." Thus  Moses  in  our  text,  when  expressing, 
the  multitudes  of  Gentiles  and  Jews,  in  Christ  Jesus, 
says  :  "  They  are  the  ten  thousands  of  Ephraim 
und  they  are  the  thousands  of  Manasseh."  The 
Jews  were  first  reckoned  the  children  of  God,  and 
Israel  is  called  God's  first  born  ;  but  the  first  are 
last  and  the  last  first.  The  Gentiles  take  the  tead 
in  the  gospel  dispensation,  for  not  until  the  fullness 


124 

of  the  Gentiles  is  come  in  will  the  deliverer 
come  out  of  Zion  and  turn  away  ungodliness 
from  Jacob. 

In  considering  Joseph  and  the  things  concerning 
him  as  applicable  to  Jesus  and  his  ministry  we 
find  an  extensive  field  opened  before  us,  a  field 
fruitful  as  a  garden,  in  all  the  most  beautiful  flowers 
of  divine  representations,  and  in  the  fruits  of  grace. 

The  visions  of  the  holy  prophets,  in  which  they 
saw  the  extensive  empire  of  the  Saviour  of  the 
world,  the  subjection  of  all  the  nations  of  the  earth 
to  his  divine  and  glorious  government,  seem  to  be 
represented  by  the  dreams  of  Joseph,  which  served 
to  kindle  his  brethren's  hearts  with  envy.  The  de- 
claration from  heaven,  which  designated  Jesus  as 
the  beloved  Son  of  God  in  whom  the  Father  is  well 
pleased,  seems  to  be  represented  by  Jacob's  love 
for  Joseph. — How  angry  it  made  the  scribes,  the 
pharisees,  the  priests  and  the  doctors  of  the  law, 
that  Jesus  should  pretend  to  be  the  Son  of  God. 
A  man  by  nO  means  of  their  standing ;  why  should 
he  pretend  to  be  the  king  of  Israel  ?  they  were  as 
determined  not  to  have  this  man  to  rule  over  them  as 
Joseph's  brethren  were  that  he  should  not  rule  over 
them.  As  Joseph  was  separated  from  his  brethren, 
so  was  Jesus  separated  from  his ;  as  Joseph  w^as 
sold  for  money,  so  was  Jesus  ;  as  Joseph  was  the 
gracious  saviour  of  the  whole  family  of  promise, 
so  is  Jesus  the  Saviour  of  the  whole  family  "  of 
heaven  and  earth." 

My  brethren,  look,  see  the  future  saviour  of  the 
family  of  Israel,  leaving  his  brethren  in  Dothan  to 
go  down  to  Egypt  a  slave,  to  see  them  no  more 
until  he  sees  them  as  his  humble  subjects,  and  is 
acknowledged  their  lord  and  protector;  then  look 
again  and  see  the  blessed  Jesus,  bearing  his  cross, 
going  bo  and  to  Calvary,  separated  from  his  brethren 
and  from  all  the  living,  to  see  them  not  again  until 
in  a  glorious  resurrection  state,  he  appears  "  the 
Lord  from  heaven," 


125 

Let  us  here  talk  freely  on  the  grace  and  plan  of 
salvation  by  Jesus  Christ,  as  represented  by  the 
temporal  salvation  wrought  by  Joseph.  Joseph 
was  appointed  by  heaven  to  be  the  saviour  of  all 
his  father's  house.  He  was  in  fact  the  saviour  of 
his  brethren  before  they  knew  him  in  Egypt.  He 
had  treasured  up  a  supply  of  bread  during  the 
seven  years  of  plenty  for  thousands  who  were  not 
then  born.  He  was  the  saviour  of  vast  multitudes, 
by  the  merciful  appointment  of  heaven,  who  were 
strangers  to  him,  and  who  knew  him  not.  All  the 
time  before  his  brethren  came  to  Egypt,  Joseph 
was  the  appointed  saviour  of  them  and  of  their  lit- 
tle ones.  It  was  just  as  certain  that  they  would 
all  partake  of  the  rich  bounties  of  Joseph,  even 
before  the  famine  commenced  as  it  was  after  they 
were  all  removed  into  the  land  of  Goshen. 

Now  what  reasonable  objection  can  there  be  to 
the  sentiment,  that  the  grace  of  (*od,and  the  scheme 
of  man's  spiritual  salvation  "  is  ordered  in  all 
things,"  and  rendered  as  sure  as  the  temporal  sal- 
vation of  the  house  of  Israel  was  in  the  scheme 
which  we  have  noticed  ? 

Joseph's  brethren  did  not  believe  that  they,  their 
wives  and  their  little  ones  were  all  to  be  fed  from 
the  bounty  of  him  whom  they  had  so  cruelly 
treated  and  sold  into  Egypt.  But  what  power  had 
their  ignorance  and  unbelief  to  frustrate  the  divine 
plan  in  which  their  welfare  was  secured  ?  It  is 
true,  they  could  not  enjoy  a  confidence  in  their 
brother  until  they  knew  him  and  were  assured  of 
his  forgiveness;  but  he  was  as  truly  their  brother 
and  friend  during  their  ignorance  and  unbelief  as 
lie  was  after  he  had  made  himself  known  to  them. 
Is  it  not  equally  true,  that  Jesus  is  the  sinner's  friend 
and  Saviour  as  truly  during  the  season  of  ignorance 
and  unbelief  as  he  is  after  faith  is  given  ? 

The  name  of  Joseph  in  Egypt  was  synonymous 
with  bread,  it  was  synonymous  with  life  ;  and  in  n« 


1213 

other  name  was  there  any  confidence.  All  power 
in  Egypt  was  committed  into  the  hands  of  Joseph, 
there  was  no  other  name  given  whereby  the  life  of 
the  people  could  be  saved.  Is  not  all  this  true  in 
spirit  respecting  the  name  of  Jesus,  is  it  riot  synon- 
ymous with  Saviour  ?  Is  not  this  the  bread  of  God 
which  came  down  from  heaven,  and  gave  life  to 
the  world? 

In  his  wise  and  gracious  appointment,  the  God  o-f 
heaven  gave  life  to  millions  in  Joseph  before  they 
were  born  ;  "  and  this  is  the  record  that  God  hath 
given  unto  us  eternal  life,  and  this  life  is  in  his  Son.*' 
This  life  was  the  life  of  the  world  from  the  begin- 
ning. This  was  our  life  before  we  came  into  this 
world,  and  the  unborn  ages  to  come  are  equally 
enlitled  to  all  its  blessings. 

The  envy,  the  hatred,  the  deadly  enmity  of  Jo- 
seph's brethren  towards  him,  could  do  no  more 
than  was  necessary  to  promote  his  glory  and  ad- 
vance him  in  the  way  of  the  divine  appointment. 
80  all  the  cruel  envy,  hatred  and  persecution  prac- 
tised on  the  blessed  Jesus,  by  his  enemies,  only  ad- 
vanced him  towards  that  glory  that  during  eternal 
jiges  will  continue  to  brighten  and  beautify  the  ra- 
tional creation  of  God.  As  we  may  notice  this 
subject  in.  part  in  our  next  lecture,  which  will  be  on 
the  subject  of  blasphemy  against  the  Holy  Ghost, 
we  may  be  brief. 

How  tender  are  the  words  of  Joseph  to  those 
who;  had  hated  him  without  a  cause  :  "  Come  near 
to  me  I  pray  you."  This  is  the  language  of  the 
Ulessed  Jesus  in  the  Gospel  of  his  grace.  He  speaks 
to  every  sinner,  saying,  "  come  near  to  me  I  pray 
you."  The  apostle  says  "  we  pray  you  in  Christ's 
stead,  be  ye  reconciled  to  God  ;  for  he  hath  made 
him  to  be  sin  for  us,  who  knew  no  sin,  that  we  might 
be  made  the  righteousness  of  God  in  him." 

As  we  have  seen  that  the  blessing  which  came 
upon  the  head  of  Joseph,  was  in  all  respects,  as 


127 

large  and  rich  as  could  be  desired,  may  we-  uot 
believe  with  confidence,  that  the  Redeemer  will  as 
fully  "see  of  the  travail  of  his  soul  and  be  satisfied  ?" 
If  in  room  of  that  most  interesting  account  of  the 

tj 

humble  submission  of  all  Joseph's  enemies  to  him, 
we  were  informed  that  three  only  were  ever  brought 
to  repentance,  and  to  be  humble  before  him,  and 
also  to  receive  of  his  bounty,  could  \ve  consider 
his  reward  to  be  equal  to  what  the  present  ac- 
count makes  it  ?  Would  it  be  possible,  in  this  case 
to  see  how  his  dreams  were  fulfilled  ?  His  sheaf 
stood  upright,  and  all  his  brethren's  sheaves  made 
obeisance  to  it.  The  sun,  arid  the  moon,  and  the 
eleven  stars  made  obeisance  unto  him.  With  less 
than  the  submission  of  all  could  these  heaven-in- 
spired dreams  have  fully  come  to  pass  ?  With 
all  this  was  he  blessed,  and  blessed  in  the  sweet  en- 
joyment of  a  forgiving  spirit,  and  in  the  victory 
that  spirit  gained  over  the  affections  ofhisbreth. 
ren.  Moreover,  he  was  bountifully  blessed  in  his 
liberal  bestow  me  nts  on  his  dependant  brethren. — 
They  were  all  blessed  in  him,  but  he  was  the  most 
blessed  of  all :  for  "  it  is  more  blessed  to  give  than 
to  receive."  Thus  we  believe,  that  with  less  than 
the  reconciliation  of  all  men  to  Jesus,  the  faithful 
word  of  all  God's  holy  prophets  since  the  world 
began,  who  have  spoken  of  the  restitution  of  all 
things,  can  never  be  fulfilled.  Nor  can  Jesus  see 
of  the  travail  of  his  soul  and  be  satisfied  with  less 
than  the  humble  submission  to  his  laws,  of  all 
who  have  ever  been  his  enemies.  We  believe,  and 
believing  we  rejoice,  that  the  kind  Redeemer  shall 
finally  be  blessed  with  the  full  enjoyment  of  for- 
giving the  iniquities  of  all  his  enemies,  of 
feeding  them  at  his  own  table,  with  the  bread  of 
everlasting  life.  All  will  be  blessed  in  him  ;  "  all 
nations  shall  call  him  blessed  ;"  but  he  shall  be  the 
most  blessed  of  all,  as  it  is  "more  blei?sed  t»  give 
than  to  receive." 


128 

Blessed  were  the  people  that  heard  the  joyful 
tidings,  that  there  was  corn  in  Egypt.  How  did 
the  husband's  heart  leap  for  joy,  that  the  compan- 
ion of  his  bosom  should  not  "  perish  with  hunger  !" 
How  unspeakably  happy  were  parents  made  when 
assured  that  their  children  could  be  supplied  with 
bread !  More  blessed  still  are  the  "  people  who 
know  the  joyful  sound,"  of  the  gospel  of  Jesus, 
and  walk  in  the  light  of  the  Lord.  Parents  look, 
behold  the  shepherd  of  Israel  taking  your  little 
children  in  his  arms,  and  saying  "  of  such  is  the 
kingdom  of  heaven."  Said  the  risen  Saviour  "  go 
ye  into  all  the  world  and  preach  the  gospel  to  ev- 
ery creature."  Yes,  my  friends,  you  are  all  wel- 
come to  the  bread  of  life  ;  and 

"  Christ  hath  sent  me  to  invite  you, 

"  To  a  rich  and  costly  feast  ; 
V  Let  not  shame  nor  pride  prevent  you, 

"  Come,  the  rich  provision  taste." 


•       '       N.  9.  ...?';',.. 

,       LECTURE  SERMON, 

DELIVERED  AT  THE 

SECOND  UNIVERSALIST  MEETING,  IN  BOSTON, 
NOVEMBER  22,  1818. 


BY  HOSEA  BALLOU,  PASTOR. 


Published  Semi-Monthly,  by  Henry  Bowen,  Devonshire-street. 

MATTHEW,  xii.  31,  32. 

w  Wherefore  I  say  unto  you,  All  manner  of  sin  and  blasphemy  shall  be 
forgiven  unto  men  :  but  the  blasphemy  against  the  Holy  Ghost  shall 
not  be  forgiven  unto  men.  And  whosoever  speakelh  a  word  against 
the  Son  of  man,  it  shall  be  forgiven  him  :  but  whosoever  speakelh 
against  the  Holy  Ghost,  it  shall  not  be  forgiven  himt  neither  in  this 
world,  neither  in  the  world  to  come." 

OUR  Saviour  spake  the  words  of  our  text  in  his 
reply  to  the  Pharisees,  who  said  of  him,  "  this*fel- 
low  doth  not  cast  out  devils  but  by  Beelzebub,  the 
prince  of  the  devils." 

The  circumstance  which  led  the  pharisees  to 
speak  as  we  have  just  noticed  was  the  following. 
There  was  brought  unto  Jesus  one  possessed  with 
a  devil,  blind  and  dumb  :  and  he  healed  him,  inso- 
much that  the  blind  and  dumb  both  spake  and 
saw.  And  all  the  people  were  amazed,  and  said, 
is  not  this  the  son  of  David  ?  That  is,  is  not  this 
man  who  casts  out  devils  and  works  so  many  mi- 
racles the  Messiah  or  Christ  of  whom  the  law  and 
the  prophets  have  spoken?  As  the  Pharisees  were 
bitterly  opposed  to  Jesus,  this  exclamation  from 
17 


130 

the  people  gave  them  great  uneasiness,  for  as 
much  as  the  people  were  in  favor  of  Jesus,  so 
much  they  must  be  in  opposition  to  the  pharisees. 
In  order,  therefore,  to  prevent  the  people  from 
believing  in  Jesus,  the  Pharisees  said  that  he  cast 
out  devils  by  Beelzebub,  the  prince  of  the  devils. 

It  seems  that  the  miracles  of  Jesus  were  so  evi- 
dent, so  open,  so  undisguised,  that  his  keenest  eyed 
enemies  found  no  chance  of  success  with  the  peo- 
ple by  denying  the  facts  of  the  miracles ;  they 
must,  therefore,  deceive  the  people  by  some  other 
means.  In  the  case  of  the  miracle  wrought  on  the 
mar.  that  was  born  blind,  they  seemed  to  doubt  the 
fact  of  his  having  been  born  blind  ;  but  having 
called  his  parents  and  received  their  testimony, 
they  were  compelled  to  believe  the  fact ;  but  they 
said  to  the  man  to  whom  sight  had  been  given,  "gi\7e 
God  the  praise,  we  know  that  this  man  is  a  sin- 
ner." It  was  contended,  that  as  this  miracle  was 
performed  on  the  sabbath  day,  he  who  wrought  it 
could  not  be  of  God.  If  the  Pharisees  could  per- 
suade the  people  that  Jesus  was  a  sinner,  notwith- 
standing all  the  miracles  which  he  did,  they  were 
sure  that  the  people  would  not  believe  that  he  was 
the  Messiah  promised.  But  it  seems  that  the  peo- 
ple had  discernment  enough  to  raise  the  question, 
"  How  can  a  man  that  is  a  sinner  do  such  miracles  ?" 
This  question  must  receive  some  sort  of  an  an- 
swer ;  and  almost  any  thing  would  do  that  super- 
stition would  countenance,  for  the  common  peo- 
ple supposed  that  these  Pharisees  and  learned  doc- 
tors of  the  law,  being  godly  people  and  of  deep  dis- 
cernment must  know.  When,  therefore,  their  wis- 
dom suggested  that  the  miracles  of-  Jesus  were  ef- 
fected by  the  agency  of  the  prince  of  the  devils,  it 
was  by  no  means  difficult  for  the  people  to  give 
credit  to  the  opinion,  for  they  were  already  fixed 
in  the  superstitious  notions  of  devils. 


131 

The  declaration,  that  Jesus  cast  out  devils  by 
Beelzebub,  the  prince  of  the  devils,  was  a  declara- 
tion directly  against  the  spirit  and  power  by  which 
the  miracle  was  effected.  In  reply  to  this  the 
Saviour  reasoned  in  his  usual,  natural,  plain  and 
energetic  manner,  as  follows  :  "  Every  kingdom 
divided  against  itself  is  brought  to  desolation  :  and 
every  city  or  house  divided  against  itself  shall  not 
stand :  And  if  Satan  cast  out  Satan,  he  is  divided 
against  himself ;  how  shall  then  his  kingdom  stand  ? 
And  if  I  by  Beelzebub  cast  out  devils,  by  whom 
do  your  children  cast  them  out  ?  therefore  they 
shall  be  your  judges.  But  if  I  cast  out  devils  by 
the  Spirit  of  God,  then  the  kingdom  of  God  is  come 
unto  you.  Or  else,  how  can  one  enter  into  a  strong 
man's  house,  and  spoil  his  goods,  except  he  first 
bind  the  strong  man  ?  and  then  he  will  spoil  his 
house.  He  that  is  not  with  me,  is  against  me  ;  and 
he  that  gathereth  not  with  me,  scattereth  abroad." 
Then  follow  the  words  of  our  text,  which,  when 
considered  in  the  connection  in  which  they  are 
found,  plainly  indicate  that  the  Pharisees,  who  said 
that  Jesus  cast  out  devils,  by  Beelzebub,  the  prince 
of  the  devils,  did,  in  so  saying,  speak  blasphemy 
against  the  Holy  Ghost. 

We  shall  now  proceed  to  enquire  why  this  sin 
or  blasphemy  against  the  Holy  Ghost,  by  which 
the  miracles  of  Jesus  were  wrought  could  not  as 
easily  be  forgiven  as  any  other  sin  or  blasphemy. 
It  is  generally  contended  that  this  sin  against  the 
Holy  Ghost  cannot  be  forgiven  because  it  is  so 
much  more  heinous  than  all  other  sins  ;  but  be- 
cause this  is  the  general  opinion  it  is  no  proper 
evidence  of  its  being  true.  Has  it  ever  been 
proved  that  this  blasphemy  is  more  heinous  than 
other  sins  ?  The  speaker  feels  solicitous  that  the 
hearer  maybe  disposed,  on  this  subject,  to  admit  of 
nothing  without  proof.  We  are  not  only  at  liber- 
ty to  reject  all  ideas  which  have  been  established 


132 

by  tradition  without  proper  evidence,  but  it  is  our 
religious  duty  so  to  do.  Let  it  then  be  proved 
that  this  sin  against  the  Holy  Ghost  could  not  be 
forgiven  the  Pharisees  as  easily  as  any  other  sin 
that  they  committed,  because  this  sin  was  more 
heinous  than  any  other,  and  then  we  will  believe  it ; 
but  not  before.  But  it  is  contended  that  this  sin 
is  certainly  greater  than  any  other,  because  it  is 
committed  against  greater  light.  Here  again  we 
call  for  proof.  Are  we  informed  in  the  scripture, 
that  this  sin  is  committed  against  greater  light 
than  any  other  ?  No,  we  have  no  such  information. 
It  is  granted  that  learned  divines,  so  called,  have 
made  very  nice  calculations  respecting  the  degrees 
of  divine  Ijght  and  knowledge  which  were  requir- 
ed in  order  to  enable  a  person  to  commit  this  sin  ; 
but  then  we  must  be  just  enough  to  these  pious 
doctors  to  allow  them  the  whole  of  the  credit  due 
to  such  profound  researches,  for  they  alone  are  en- 
titled to  it ;  they  have  had  no  help  from  divine  reve- 
lation. On  the  other  hand  it  is  our  duty  to  receive 
nothing  which  they  have  safd  on  this  subject  as  the 
least  evidence  in  the  case.  Let  us  look  at  the  sub- 
ject candidly.  The  Pharisees  spake  against  Jesus, 
ancTsaid,  "  we  know  that  this  man  is  a  sinner." — 
Again,  they  spake  against  the  spirit  by  which  he 
wrought  miracles,  and  said ;  "  this  fellow  doth  not 
cast  out  devils  but  by  Beelzebub,  the  prince  of  the 
devils."  Now  have  we  any  evidence  to  believe 
that  these  Pharisees  had  any  more  light  or  divinfe 
knowledge  when  they  spake  the  latter  sentence, 
than  when  they  spake  the  former  ?  No,  we  have  no 
such  intimation.  Why  then,  you  will  ask,  might 
not  this  sin  be  forgiven  as  easily  or  as  soon  as  other 
sins  ?  We  still  continue  to  reply  negatively  and 
say,  not  because  this  sin  is  greater  or  more  heinous 
than  other  sins  ;  this  we  have  a  right  to  say,  be- 
cause the  divine  word  gives  no  authority  to  the 
contrary.  Furthermore,  if  the  divine  forgiveness 


133 

flow  from  the  infinite  fulness  of  grace  in  God,  the 
supposition  that  some  sins  are  so  small  that  they 
can  be  forgiven,  but  that  others  are  so  great  that 
they  cannot  be  forgiven,  is  a  flagrant  violation  of 
reason.  If  some  sins  are  small  and  others  large 

c? 

as  they  compare  together,  it  is  plain  that  the  small 
cannot  be  infinitely  great,  and  it  follows  of  course 
that  the  largest  cannot  be  infinite  if  the  small  bear 
any  proportion  to  them.  Now  if  all  sin  be  of  the 
finite  character  of  the  mortal  sinner,  is  it  not  ab- 
surd to  pretend  that  some  sins  are  too  great  for  the 
infinite  goodness  of  God  to  forgive  ?  The  scripture 
is  plain  on  this  subject.  See  Isaiah,  i.  18.  "  Come 
now,  and  let  us  reason  together,  saith  the  Lord : 
Though  your  sins  be  as  scarlet,  they  shall  be  as 
white  as  snow  ;  though  they  be  red  like  crimson, 
they  shall  be  as  wool."  The  most  natural  sense 
of  this  text  is,  that  though  the  sin  of  the  people 
were  of  the  deepest  dye,  they  might  be  washed 
away.  How  then  is  it  proper  to  explain  our  text 
in  a  way  to  contradict  this  evident  testimony?  The 
forerunner  of  Jesus  said  of  him  ;  *'  Behold  the 
Lamb  of  God  that  taketh  away  the  sin  of  the 
world."  Here  is  no  exception,  no  reserve.  The 
beloved  disciple  says ;  "  If  we  confess  our  sins,  he 
is  faithful  and  just  to  forgive  us  our  sins,  and  to 
cleanse  us  from  all  unrighteousness. — The  blood  of 
Jesus  Christ  his  Son  cleanseth  us  from  all  sin." 
In  these  passages  there  is  mention  made  of  the  sin 
of  the  world,  of  all  sin  and  of  all  unrighteousness, 
and  the  power  of  the  blessed  Son  of  God  is  honor- 
ed as  being  sufficient  to  overcome  the  whole,  with- 
out any  exception. 

If  the  hearer  will  be  careful  enough  to  attend  to 
a  particular  method  of  argument  on  this  subject, 
we  will  endeavor  to  prove  from  the  divine  oracles 
that  it  is  the  design  of  the  Saviour  to  cleanse  every 
sinner  of  the  human  race  from  all  sin,  not  excepting 
the  sin  against  the  Holy  Ghost.  If  the  hearer  say, 


134 

Hull  this  argument  is  off  of  our  subject,  and  that 
what  be  wishes  to  know  is,  why  the  blasphemy 
against  the  Holy  Ghost  may  not  be  forgiven,  or 
why  it  could  not  be  forgiven  as  soon  as  other  sins, 
lie  may  be  told,  that  the  argument  proposed  is 
thought  to  be  necessary  in  order  to  settle  the  ques- 
tion whether  the  sin  against  the  Holy  Ghost  is  ever 
to  be  forgiven  according  to  the  scriptures.  If  we 
find  that  this  sin  will  eventually  be  washed  away 
by  the  blood  of  Christ,  then  our  main  question 
will  be  to  ascertain  why  it  could  not  be  forgiven 
"  neither  in  this  world,  neither  in  the  world  to 
come." 

St.  Paul  in  his  1st  Epistle  to  Timothy  lays  it 
down  as  an  important  fact  in  the  great  truths  of 
the  gospel,  that  Jesus,  the  Mediator  between  God 
and  men,  had  given  himself  a  ransom  for  all  men, 
to  he  testified  in  due  time.  To  the  Ephesians  he 
Jays  it  down  as  an  important  fact,  that  Christ  loved 
the  church  and  gave  himself  for  it.  By  these  two 
passages  we  have  it  proved  that  all  men  constitute 
the  church  of  Christ  which  he  hath  purchased  with 
bis  own  blood.  This  agrees  also  with  this  Apostle's 
declaration  to  the  Corinthians  ;  "  I  would  have  you 
to  know,  that  the  head  of  every  man  is  Christ." 
To -the  Hebrews  he  says,  that  Jesus,  by  the  grace 
<jf  God  tasted  death  for  every  man;  and  the  belov- 
ru  John  said,  that  he  is  the  propitiation  for  the 
sins  of  the  whole  world.  Now  it  is  certain,  that  if 
xve  can  prove  any  thing  from  the  scriptures,  we 
have  proved,  by  the  quotations  made,  that  the 
(i  Saviour  of  the  world  gave  himself  a  ran- 
som for  those  Pharisees  who  spoke  this  blasphemy 
against  the  Holy  Ghost,  that  he  tasted  death  for 
them,  and  that  he  was  the  propitiation  for  their 
vius.  All  this  is  undeniably  proved.  We  ask  in 
the  next  place,  why  Jesus  gave  himself  for  the 
rhurcb?  The  Apostle  answers  in  the  place  quoted 
from. Ephesians  as  follows  ;  "  That  he  might  sane,- 


133 

tify  and  cleanse  it  with  the  washing  of  water  by  tlie 
word  ;  that  he  might  present  it  to  himself  a  glori- 
ous chgrch,  not  having  spot,  or  wrinkle,  or  any 
such  thing  ;  but  that  it  should  be  holy,  and  with- 
out blemish."  The  argument  amounts  to  this. 
Jesus  gave  himself  for  his  church,  he  gave  himself 
a  ransom  for  those  pharisees  who  spake  blasphemy 
against  the  Holy  Ghost ;  they  therefore  belong  to 
his  church.  Jesus  gave  himself  for  the  church, 
that  he  might  sanctify  a  no!  cleanse  it  by  the  wash- 
ing of  water  by  the  word.  He  therefore  gave 
himself  a  ransom  for  these  blasphemous  pharisees, 
that  he  might  sanctify  and  cleanse  them. 

To  the  Romans  St.  Paul  says ;  "  As  by  the  of- 
fence of  one  judgment  came  upon  all  men  to  con- 
demnation, even  so  by  the  righteousness  of  one 
the  free  gift  came  upon  all  men  unto  justification  of 
life.3'  Then  surely  by  the  righteousness  of  Jesus 
Christ,  the  second  Adam,  the  Lord  from  heaven, 
the  free  gift  had  came  on  those  Pharisees  who 
spake  against  the  Holy  Ghost,  unto  justification 
of  life.  In  this  same  Epistle  he  says  ;  "  For  all 
have  sinned  and  come  short  of  the  glory  of  God  ; 
being  justified  freely  by  his  grace,  through  the  re- 
demption that  is  in  Christ  Jesus."  Then  it  is  evi- 
dent that  all  who  have  sinned  and  come  short  of 
the  glory  of  God  are  freely  justified,  through  the 
redemption  of  which  the  Apostle  here  spake  ;  and 
if  so,  then  those  Pharisees,  who  sinned  by  blas- 
pheming against  the  Holy  Ghost  were  freely  justi- 
fied, &c. 

What  must  be  done  in  this  case  ?  Will  the  ob- 
jector say,  that  the  testimony  of  Christ,  that  those 
who  blasphemed  against  the  Holy  Ghost  should 
not  be  forgiven  "  neither  in  this  world,  neither  in 
the  world  to  come,"  plainly  disproves  all  which 
St.  Paul  has  said  on  the  subject  ?  But  why  have 
Ave  not  equal  authority  to  say,  that  what  has  been 
quoted  from  St.  Paul  disproves  what  Jesus  said  to 


136 

the  Pharisees  ?  What  we  have  quoted  from  the 
Apostle  is  much  more  than  what  Jesus  said  con- 
cerning this  blasphemy's  not  being  forgiven.  Pardon 
this  form  of  expression  ;  it  is  designed  to  bring  the 
hearer  to  consider  how  the  testimony  of  both  Jesus 
and  Paul  may  be  allowed  to  stand  good  as  the 
faithful  word  of  divine  truth. 

We  may  now  endeavor  to  give  the  direct  reason 
why  this  blasphemy  could  not  be  forgiven  as  soon 
as  other  sins.  If  we  confine  ourselves  to  the  sense 
of  scripture  on  this  subject  we  shall  find  that  not 
only  these  Pharisees  had  a  design  to  answer  by 
speaking  against  the  spirit  by  which  Jesus  cast 
out  devils,  but  God  himself  had  also  a  design  to 
answer  by  it,  and  therefore  this  sin  must  remain 
unwashed  away  until  the  design  of  our  heavenly 
Father  shall  be  fully  answered.  Perhaps  some 
will  say,  that  the  supposition  that  the  divine  Being 
had  any  purpose  to  answer  by  means  of  this  blas- 
phemy is  blasphemy  itself.  But  the  speaker  feels 
fully  satisfied  on  this  point  of  doctrine,  (viz.)  that 
no  sin  can  exist  a  moment  longer  than  it  answers 
some  divine  purpose.  We  may  here  recollect 
what  was  seen  when  we  treated  in  our  last  lecture 
on  the  subject  of  Joseph  and  his  brethren.  Was 
it  not  evidently  seen  that  the  partiality  of  Jacob  in 
favor  of  the  son  of  his  old  age  was  controlled  by 
divine  wisdom  to  answer  a  good  purpose  ?  Was  it 
not  seen  that  the  envy  of  the  sons  of  Jacob  towards 
Joseph  was  overruled  for  good  ?  Was  it  not 
seen  that  the  avarice  of  those  wicked  men  was 
made  use  of  by  divine  Providence  to  check  the 
power  of  anger  and  to  promote  a  wise,  benevolent 
object  ? 

But  what  object,  what  purpose  of  God  could 
possibly  be  promoted  by  such  abominable  blas- 
phemies as  this  of  which  we  read  in  our  text? 
Answer,  the  blindness  of  the  house  of  Israel,  the 
fulfilling  of  the  prophecies  concerning  Jesus,  and 


137 

the  establishment  of  the  gospel  in  the  world  on 
principles  consistent  with  prophetic  testimony. 
If  the  religious  Jews  had  believed  that  Jesus 
wrought  all  his  miracles  by  the  spirit  of  God  they 
of  course  would  have  received  him  as  thft  Messiah. 
If  they  had  thus  received  him  they  would  not  have 
rejected  him,  dispised  him,  nor  would  they  have 
put  him  to  death.  Then  surely  the  testimony  of 
the  prophets  would  have  proved  false,  and  the 
scriptures  written  by  holy  men  of  God  moved  by 
the  Holy  Ghost  could  never  have  gained  credit 
among  the  Gentiles. 

As  the  astonishing  miracles  wrought  by  the  hand 
of  Jesus  were  designed  by  heaven  as  proper  evi- 
dence of  his  Messiahship,  the  blasphemy  of  im- 
puting these  miracles  to  the  power  of  an  evil  agent 
was  the  only  sin  that  could  prevent  the  religious 
Jews  from  believing  in  Christ.  That  this  unbe- 
lief of  the  Jews  was  necessary  for  the  fulfilment 
of  the  prophecies  we  are  certified  by  the  following 
scriptures.  St.  John,  12.  "But  though  he  had 
done  so  many  miracles  before  them,  yet  they  be- 
lieved not  on  him  :  that  the  saying  of  Esaias  the 
prophet  might  be  fulfilled,  which  he  spake,  Lord, 
who  hath  believed  our  report  ?  and  to  whom  hath 
the  arm  of  the  Lord  been  revealed  ?  Therefore 
they  could  not  believe,  because  that  Esaias  said 
again,  he  hath  blinded  their  eyes,  and  hardened 
their  heart,  that  they  should  not  see  with  their  eyes, 
nor  understand  with  their  heart,  and  be  converted, 
and  I  should  heal  them.'*  Romans,  11.  "  For  as  ye 
in  times  past  have  not  believed  God,  yet  have  now 
obtained  mercy  through  their  unbelief;  even  so 
have  these  also  now  not  believed,  that  through  your 
mercy  they  also  may  obtain  mercy.'*  In  the  pas- 
sage quoted  from  St.  John  we  find  it  plainly  stat- 
ed that  the  unbelief  of  the  Jews  was  necessary  for 
the  fulfillment  of  the  prophecy  of  Esaias  ;  and  fur- 
thermore it  is  stated  that  in  consequence  «f  what 
18 


138 

God  had  done,  "they  could  not  believe."  By  the 
passage  quoted  from  Romans  we  learn  the  special 
utility  of  the  Jews'  unbelief;  it  was  that  through  it 
the  Gentiles  might  obtain  mercy.  As  the  Jews'  unbe- 
lief led  them  to  fulfil  the  prophcies,  concerning  the 
Messiah,  so  their  unbelief  presented  to  the  Gentiles 
the  proper  evidence  of  the  divinity  of  the  scriptures 
of  the  prophets,  and  of  the  mission  of  Jesus.  Here 
then  we  may  say,  we  have  proved  that  our  heaven- 
ly Father  has  plainly  revealed  in  his  word,  that  he 
had  a  divine  purpose  to  answer  by  means  of  the 
Jews'  unbelief,  which  was  to  communicate  his 
grace  to  the  G.entiles.  This  being  granted,  or  rather 
proved,  it  must  follow  of  course  that  when  this  unbe- 
lief or  blasphemy  has  effected  all  which  God  de- 
signed by  it,  the  merciful  Father  of  our  spirits  will 
use  means  to  remove  it  from  the  house  of  Israel ; 
and  therefore  it  is  said,  as  quoted  from  Romans, 
11  ;  "  Even  so  have  these  also  now  not  believed, that 
through  your  mercy  they  also  may  obtain  mercy." 
As  the  unbelief  of  the  Jews  was  the  means  of  com- 
municating mercy  to  the  Gentiles,  so  in  return  the 
mercy  which  the  Gentiles  have  by  such  means  ob- 
tained will  finally  be  communicated  to  the  Jews. 
We  read  again  in  this  chapter  the  following  :  "  For 
I  would  not,  brethren,  that  ye  should  be  ignorant 
of  this  mystery,  that  blindness  in  part  is  happen- 
ed to  Israel,  until  the  fulness  of  the  Gentiles  be 
come  in.  Arid  so  all  Israel  shall  be  saved :  as  it  is 
written,  there  shall  come  out  of  Sion  the  deliverer, 
and  shall  turn  away  ungodliness  from  Jacob.'* 
When  the  fulness  of  the  Gentiles  shall  be  convert- 
ed to  Christ,  then  the  blasphemy  of  the  Jews  will 
have  answered  the  purpose  for  which  God  design- 
ed it,  and  then  the  deliverer  of  Israel  will  be  sent 
out  of  Sion  and  will  turn  away  this  ungodliness 
from  Jacob. 

The  hearer  can   scarcely  avoid  seeing  that  all 
these  things  are  made  plain  by  the  testimony  of 


139 

divine  inspiration  ;  but  many  find  a  very  great  dif- 
culty  in  submitting  to  the  idea  that  the  divine  Be- 
ing ever  intended  to  answer  any  purpose  by  means 
of  man's  transgression.  Yet  in  the  case  of  Joseph's 
brethren,  it  is  fully  evident,  that  God  made  use  of 
their  wickedness  to  promote  their  brother  to 
great  power,  and  to  give  him  an  opportunity  of 
rewarding  them  good  for  their  evil  towards  him. 
So,  also,  the  wickedness  of  the  Jews,  their  hatred 
towards  the  blessed  Jesus,  and  their  blasphemy 
against  the  spirit  by  which  his  miracles  were 
wrought  all  served  and  still  serve  to  bring  the  ob- 
ject of  their  envy  before  the  world  of  the  Gentiles 
as  the  glorious  Messiah  promised  in  the  Jaw  and 
in  the  prophets,  and  to  establish  the  doctrine  of 
God's  everlasting  love  to  sinners  on  a  foundation 
that  can  never  be  shaken.  And  to  crown  the 
whole  of  this  divine  plan  with  glory  and  complete 
success,  after  this  wickedness  of  the  Jews  shall 
have  produced  the  effects  before  noticed,  the 
blessed  Redeemer,  will  then,  like  Joseph,  make 
himself  known  unto  his  brethren  the  Jews,  saying, 
as  he  did  to  one  of  them,  "  I  am  Jesus  of  Nazareth 
whom  thou  persecutest."  It  is  worthy  of  notice 
that  Joseph's  brethren,  by  means  of  their  hatred  to 
him,  gave  a  saviour  to  the  land  of  Egypt  and  to 
many  other  countries ;  and  also,  that  thousands  of 
Egyptians  rejoiced  in  this  most  gracious  saviour 
before  his  own  dear  brethren  were  brought  to 
know  him,  or  to  partake  of  his  bounty.  So  the 
Jews  by  rejecting  their  Messiah,  gave  a  glorious 
saviour  to  the  Gentiles  who  rejoice  in  knowing 
him  and  in  feasting  on  his  grace,  while  the  Jews 
who  gave  him  to  us  are  weeping,  wailing  and 
gnashing  their  teeth.  But  thanks  be  to  God,  our 
blessed  Saviour  knows  his  brethren,  his  bowels 
yearn  upon  them,  he  has  stores  of  corn  for  their 
relief,  soon  will  the  burst  of  joy  be  heard  through 
all  the  Gentile  church,  of  Jesus'  making  himself 


140 

tnown  to  his  brethren.  When  the  Saviour  wept 
over  Jerusalem,  he  closed  his  lamentation  with 
these  memorable  words  ;  "  Behold  your  house  is 
left  unto  you  desolate.  For  I  say  unto  you,  ye 
shall  not  see  me  henceforth,  till  ye  shall  say,  bless- 
ed is  he  thatcoineth  in  the  name  of  the  Lord." 

We  may  now  enquire  for  the  meaning  of  the 
following  words  in  our  text ;  "  neither  in  this  world, 
neither  in  the  world  to  come."  The  word  WORLD 
means  age  or  dispensation.  Jesus  spake  these 
words  under  the  law,  during  the  continuance  of 
the  legal  priesthood.  "  This  world"  referred  to 
the  then  present  order  of  things,  and  "  the  world  to 
come."  to  the  age  in  which  the  Gentiles  would  be 
visited  with  the  gospel,  and  the  Jews  excluded. 
That  this  is  a  definition  of  the  word  WOLRD  which 
is  according  to  scripture  the  hearer  may  satisfy 
himself  by  attending  to  the  following  passages  : 
In  the  24th  of  Matthew,  the  disciples  of  Jesus  asked 
him  when  the  end  of  the  world  was  to  come  ;  and 
in  his  reply  he  represented  to  them  the  destruction 
of  Jerusalem  as  the  end  of  the  world,  and  told  them 
it  would  take  place  in  that  generation.  St.  Paul  in 
his  Epistle  to  the  Hebrews  says,  of  Christ  ;  "But 
now  once  in  the  end  of  the  world,  hath  he  ap- 
peared, to  put  away  sin  by  the  sacrifice  of  him- 
self." Other  passages  to  the  same  effect  may  also 
be  consulted  at  the  hearer's  leisure. 

It  is  true  that  some  who  believe  that  this  sin 
against,  the  Holy  Ghost  will  finally  be  forgiven, 
carry  its  punishment  into  a  future  world  mean- 
ing thereby  a  future  state  of  existence.  But  as  they, 
after  all,  are  under  the  necessity  of  understanding 
the  word  WORLD  as  we  have  explained  it,  that  is, 
to  mean  a  dispensation,  it  seems  unnecessary  to 
carry  this  sin  into  a  future  state  beyond  our  mor- 
tal existence.  And  more  especially  does  this  ap- 
pear unnecessary,  because  all  the  benefit  which  it 
appears  was  designed  to  be  effected  by  the  unbe- 


141 

lief  of  the  Jews,  seems  evidently  to  appertain  to 
this  state  of  being.  If  it  can  be  made  to  appear 
that  God  has  some  good  end  to  answer,  by  having 
this  sin,  or  any  other  exist  in  a  future  world  we 
shall  cordially  subscribe  to  such  a  belief ;  but  to 
suppose  that  the  Almighty  will  perpetuate  any  sin 
in  a  future  state  only  for  the  sake  of  tormenting  his 
dependant  offspring  is  dishonorable  to  his  ever- 
blessed  and  gracious  name. — The  opinion  that  the 
divine  Being  exercises  a  disposition  of  revenge 
towards  man  for  sin,  as  a  man  who  has  received  an 
injury  from  his  neighbor  is  influenced  thereby  to 
injure  him  in  return,  is  totally  contrary  to  the  re- 
ligion of  Jesus,  and  is  altogether  degrading  both 
to  God  and  man.  The  Father  of  our  spirits,  al- 
ways exercises  one  invariable  disposition  towords 
all  his  creatures,  this  disposition  is  love.  It  was 
love  that  moved  God  to  overrule  circumstances 
so  as  to  send  Joseph  into  Egypt  by  means  of  his 
brethren's  envy,  and  these  brethren  were  the  ob- 
jects of  this  love,  and  they  finally  enjoyed  its.blessed 
fruits.  The  same  love  moved  our  Father  in 
heaven  so  to  overrule  circumstances  as  to  bring 
Jesus  to  the  cross  by  means  of  the  blasphemy 
mentioned  in  our  text,  and  it  is  evidently  the  re- 
vealed determhiation  of  God,  that  the  blasphemous 
Jews  shall  richly  share  of  the  divine  grace  which 
they  have  been  the  means  of  manifesting  to  the 
world.  God  is  good,  and  his  intentions  are  good 
when  he  permits  the  evil  passions  of  man  to  lead 
him  into  sin  ;  he  is  good,  and  his  intentions  are  all 
compassionate  and  kind  when  he  brings  on  his 
erring  children  the  most  severe  of  his  chastisements; 
and  he  is  also  good  in  finally  producing  the  pea- 
ceable fruits  of  righteousness  in  those  whom  he 
causes  to  feel  his  rod. 

After  having  presented  the  hearer  with  what  ap- 
pears to  be  the  true  design  of  the  text  under  con- 
sideration, it  may  be  profitable  to  look  at  the  com- 


142 

mon  opinion  on  the  subject  and  see  if  it  have  the 
resemblance  of  the  spirit  of  Christ.  The  com- 
mon opinion  of  our  text  is  this ;  the  blasphemy 
against  the  Holy  Ghost  is  a  sin  too  great  to  ever 
be  forgiven,  and  therefore  the  blasphemer  must  be 
punished  in  a  most  awful  state  of  torment  eternal- 
ly ;  or  as  long  as  God  exists.  But  let  us  ask, 
why  is  this  sin  so  great  ?  Why  may  it  not  be  for- 
given ?  Why  should  the  Almighty  become  un« 
kind  to  his  children  because  they  have  committed 
this  sin  ?  Is  the  Almighty  injured  by  this  sin?  No, 
God  cannot  be  injured  by  his  creatures.  Was 
Jesus  injured  as  much  by  this  blasphemy  as  the 
common  doctrine  supposes  those  will  be  injured 
who  committed  it  ?  INo,  it  is  allowed  that  Jesus 
rests  in  glory  in  heaven.  Then  the  law  that  re- 
quires an  eye  for  an  eye  does  not  require  that  the 
blasphemer  should  be  punished  world  without  end. 
But  suppose  the  most  awful  punishment  be  inflict- 
ed to  all  eternity  on  those  blasphemers,  is  this  ex- 
actly according  to  the  spirit  of  Jesus,  who  on  the 
cross,  prayed ;  "  Father  forgive  them,  for  they 
know  not  what  they  do  ?"  Jesus  commanded  his 
disciples  to  love  their  enemies,  to  pray  for  those 
that  used  them  spitefully  and  persecuted  them;  is 
it  according  to  this  spirit  and  disposition,  that  he 
will  torment  his  enemies  eternally  in  the  merciless 
flames  of  fire  and  brimstone  ?  If  it  be  safe  to  be- 
lieve, that  Jesus  will  always  possess  and  exercise 
the  same  spirit  of  love  and  compassion,  which  so 
distinctly  marked  the  character  which  he  exhibit- 
ed in  the  days  of  his  flesh,  we  certainly  have  no 
more  reason  to  believe  that  he  will  consign  the 
blasphemous  Jews  to  never  ending  torment,  than 
we  have  to  believe  that  every  tender,  fond  mother 
in  America  will  at  the  expiration  of  a  short  given 
time,  commit  her  tenderest  offspring  to  the  flames. 
Let  those  who  contend  for  the  common  unmerci- 
/ul  doctrine,  to  the  support  of  which  the  text  un- 


143 

der  consideration  is  usually  applied,  duly  consider 
the  words  of  Jesus,  to  those  of  his  disciples,  who 
manifested  a  disposition  to  command  fire  from 
heaven  on  the  inhabitants  of  a  village  of  Samaria  ; 
"  Ye  know  not  what  manner  of  spirit  ye  are  of; 
the  Son  of  man  is  not  come  to  destroy  men's  lives, 
but  to  save  them." 

The  enemy  of  the  spirit  of  God  and  of  truth 
will  say  in  reply  to  the  foregoing  arguments,  if 
these  things  are  all  so,  we  may  sin  with  impunity 
and  blaspheme  without  fear ;  we  may  hate  God, 
disregard  his  commandments,  give  no  heed  to  the 
gospel  and  abuse  the  Saviour.  Though  we  hope 
that  none  present  are  so  blind,  so  hard  hearted,  so 
dead  to  the  spirit  of  truth  as  to  make  these  sug- 
gestions, yet  it  may  be  serviceable  to  guard 
against  such  insinuations,  as  we  know  the  opposers 
of  divine  truth  are  continually  making  use  of  them 
against  the  doctrine  of  divine  love.  Come  then, 
and  let  us  reason  together  on  this  subject.  Are 
you  willing  to  step  forth  boldly  and  say  to  the 
world,  that  the  more  you  believe  in  the  goodness 
of  God,  the  more  you  feel  disposed  to  hate  and 
disobey  him  ?  The  more  confident  you  are  that  the 
Saviour  is  your  unchangeable  friend,  the  more 
you  feel  disposed  to  abuse  him  ?  No,  there  is  nei- 
ther male  nor  female  in  the  world  so  morally  de- 
ranged as  to  talk  in  this  way.  How  then  will  the 
opposer  argue?  He, will  say  that  it  is  his  opinion 
that  the  doctrine  contended  for  in  this  discourse  i» 
of  dangerous  tendency.  But  who  does  it  danger- 
ously influence  ?  Certainly  ndt  the  believer  of  it, 
for  a  belief  in  the  divine  goodness  tends  to  fill  the 
believer  with  love  to  God,  and  love  to  God  is  that 
alone  which  can  lead  us  to  obey  him.  Who  then 
does  this  doctrine  effect  so  dangerously  ?  If  any,' 
it  must  be  the  unbeliever,  the  opposer.  Here  we 
must  allow  the  argument,  in  a  sense,  for  the 
preaching  of  Jesus  himself  tended  to  enrage  hii 
enemies,  his  miracles  of  mercy  tended  to  ope* 


114 

their  mouths  in  blasphemy.  But  would  it  hare 
been  better  not  to  preach  the  truth  because  it 
sturred  up  the  opposition  ?  Would  it  have  been 
better  not  to  cast  out  devils  because  if  he  cast  them 
out  the  Pharisees  would  blaspheme  and  say,  that 
"  this  fellow  doth  not  cast  out  devils  but  by  Beelze- 
bub, the  prince  of  the  devils  ?" 

The  opposer  will  say,  perhaps,  that  he  means 
this  ;  if  we  believe  in  so  much  goodness  it  will  tend 
to  make  us  worse.  But  this  is  absurd  ;  for  eve- 
ry thing  tends  to  its  own,  goodness  to  goodness, 
evil  to  evil,  love  to  love,  hatred  to  hatred,  harmo- 
ny to  harmony,  discord  to  discord,  friendship  to 
friendship,  enmity  to  enmity. 

But  says  the  objector,  according  to  this  doctrine 
there  is  no  punishment  for  sin,  no,  not  even  for  this 
awful  blasphemy.  Here  again  is  a  mistake.  For 
nearly  eighteen  hundred  years  the  Jews,  the  de- 
scendants of  him  to  whom  the  promise  of  the  gospel 
was  made,  have  wandered  in  "  outer  darkness," 
in  consequence  of  this  blasphemy,  and  how  much 
longer  they  will  continue  in  this  unhappy  situation 
none  but  our  merciful  Father  in  heaven  knows. 
But  the  objector  will  say  that  these  arguments  do 
not  suppose  that  the  Pharisees  who  blasphemed  in 
the  days  of  Jesus  on  earth  are  now  burning  in  fire 
and  brimstone  for  that  sin  in  the  immortal  world. 
No,  we  see  no  evidence  of  this.  If  people  are  pos- 
sessed with  devils  in  the  eternal  world,  and  if  Jesus 
cast  out  devils  in  that  world,  and  these  old  Pha- 
risees there  in  that  world  believe  and  say  that  he 
casts  out  devils  by  Beelzebub  the  prince  of  the 
devils,  then  it  is  granted,  that  in  the  eternal  world 
they  must  be  punished  for  such  unreasonable  folly. 

But,  my  brethren,  let  us  learn  wisdom  by  the  en- 
samples  furnished  in  the  word  of  God,  and  remem- 
ber that  now  is  the  accepted  time,  now  is  the  day 
of  salvation ;  and  that  none  hut  the  willing  and  obe- 
dient eat  the  good  of  the  land. 


No.  10.  •  V 

LECTURE  SERMON, 

DELIVERED  AT  THE 

SECOND  UNIVERSALIST  MEETING,  IN  BOSTON, 
DECEMBER  6,  1818. 

BY  HOSEA  BALLOU,  PASTOR. 

Published  Semi-Monthly  by  Henry  Bowen,  Devonshire-street. 

ROMANS,  xi.  7. 

u  Wli&t  then  ?  Israel  hath  not  obtained  tkat  which  he  tctkethfor  ;  but 
the  election  hath  obtained  ity  and  the  rest  were  blinded." 

THE  design  in  view  which  has  led  to  the  choice 
of  this  portion  of  divine  truth,  as  a  subject  of  our 
present  lecture,  is  to  investigate  the  scripture  doc- 
trine of  election,  to  show  the  strict  sovereignty  of 
God  in  electing  some  and  blinding  others,  the 
righteousness  of  God  in  the  exercise  of  his  sover- 
eignty, and  to  disprove  the  common  doctrine  of 
election  which  supposes,  that  our  heavenly  Father, 
from  eternity,  elected  some  to  everlasting  life,  and 
predestinated  others  to  a  state  of  endless  misery. 

Our  subject  is  one  in  which  every  Christian  must 
feel  deeply  interested,  as  it  essentially  concerns  the 
divine  character,  his  revealed  will  concerning  the 
final  state  of  mankind,  together  with  the  ultimate 
object  of  the  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ.  It  is  there- 
fore hoped  that  due  attention  and  impartial  can- 
dor will  contribute  to  their  utmost  to  a  correct  un- 
derstanding of  the  weighty  subject  under  consid- 
ertion. 

19 


146 

By  "the  election"    in   our  text  the   Apostle 
means  a  remnant  of  the  house  of  Israel,  who  had 
obtained  what  the  whole  had  sought  for,  but  of 
which  the  greatest   part  had  come  short,   being 
blinded.     In  the  preceding  chapters  the    Author 
had  spoken  of  the  failure  of  the  house  of  Israel  in 
their  endeavors  to  attain  to  the  law  of  righteous- 
ness, and   of  the  more  favorable  condition  of  the 
Gentiles,  who  though  they   did   not  follow  after 
righteousness,    yet   had   "  attained  to    righteous- 
ness, even  the  righteousness  which  is  of  faith."   To 
the  Gentiles  he  applies  a  prophecy  of  Esaiasas  fol- 
lows ;  "  I  was  found  of  them  that  sought  me  not  ;I 
was  made  manifest  to  them  that  asked  not  after  me." 
But  concerning  the  house  of  Israel  he  uses  the  fol- 
lowing words  :    "  But  to  Israel   he  saith,   all  day 
Jong,  I  have  stretched  forth  my  hands  unto  a  diso- 
bedient and  gain  saying  people."  In  the  commence- 
ment of  this  chapter   his   attention    seems  to  be 
directed  to  make  it  appear  that,  notwithstanding 
all  which  he  had  said,  God  had  by  no  means,  cast 
,  away  the  whole   of  his  people,  the  Jews.     The 
following  is  his  reasoning  on  the  jubject :  "  I  say 
then,  ham  God  cast  away  his  people  ?  God  forbid. 
For  I  also  am  an  Israelite,  of  the  seed  of  Abraham, 
of  the  tribe  Benjamin.     God  hath  not  cast  away 
his  people  which  he  foreknew.     Wot  ye  not  what 
the  scripture  saith  of  Elias,  how  he  maketh  inter- 
cession to  God  against  Isreal,  saying,  Lord,  they 
have  killed  thy  prophets,   and  digged  down  thine 
altars  ;  and  I  am  left  alone  and  they  seek  my  life  ? 
But   what  saith   the   answer  of  God  unto  him  ?  I 
have  reserved  to  myself  seven  thousand  men,  who 
have  not   bowed   the  knee  to  the  image  of  Baal. 
Even  so  then,  at  this  present  time  also  there  is  a 
remnant  according  to  the  election  of  grace."  That 
is,  as  in  the  days  of  Elijah  it  pleased  God  to  re- 
serve   seven    thousand   of.  the   Israelites  to  be 
true  worshippers  of  himself,  while  the  rest   bow- 


147 

ed  the  knee  to  Baal,  so  now,  while  the  general 
mass  of  the  stock  of  Abraham  are  blinded,  have 
stumbled  at  the  stumbling  stone  laid  in  Sion,  and 
are  broken  off  through  unbelief,  there  is  a  rem- 
nan*  stilJ  preserved,  who  have  escaped  the  gen- 
eral calamity,  and  have  by  grace  obtained  what 
the  others  sought  for  but  found  not ;  of  this  rem- 
nant, the  Apostle  reckons  himself  as  one. 

The  hearer  is  now  called  on  to  direct  his  atten- 
tion to  understand,  that  this  election  was  not  made 
with  the  least  reference  to  the  works  of  the  chosen. 
This  the  Aapostle  is  careful  to  notice  in  a  most 
plain  and  positive  manner.  See  his  observation 
in  the  6lh  verse.  "  And  if  by  grace,  then  it  is  no 
more  of  works ;  otherwise  grace  is  no  more  grace. 
But  if  it  be  of  works,  then  is  it  no  more  grace ;  other 
wise  work  is  no  more  work."  This  argument  sup- 
poses that  if  this  election  had  been  according  to 
works  grace  would  have  been  entirely  excluded  ; 
but  as  it  was  by  grace,  works  were  excluded.  In 
the  9th  chapter  the  author  in  describing  the  sover- 
eignty of  God  in  the  election  of  Jacob  in  preference 
to  Esau,  says  ;  "  For  the  children  being  not  yet 
born  ;  neither  having  done  any  good  or  evil,  that 
the  purpose  of  God,  according  to  election  might 
stand,  not  of  works,  but  of  him  that  calleth."  And 
in  further  arguing  on  this  subject  he  adds;  "  For 
he  saith  to  Moses,  I  will  have  mercy,  on  whom  I 
will  have  mercy,  and  I  will  have  compassion  on 
whom  I  will  have  compassion.  So  then  it  is  not  of 
him  that  willeth,  nor  of  him  that  runneth,  but  of 
God  that  sheweth  mercy.  For  the  scriptures 
saith  unto  Pharoah,  even  for  this  same  purpose 
have  I  raised  thee  up,  that  I  might  shew  my 
power  in  thee,  and  that  my  name  might  be 
declared  throughout  all  the  earth.  Therefore 
hath  he  mercy  on  whom  he  will  have  mercy,  and 
whom  he  will"  he  hardeneth."  To  confirm  this  di- 
vine sovereignty  still  further  the  inspired  Apostle 


adds  the  following  significant  query  ;  «  Hath  not 
the  potter  power  over  the  clay,  of  the  same  lump 
to  make  one  vessel  unto  honor,  and  another  unto 
dishonor?  What  if  God,  willing  to  shew  his  wrath, 
and  to  make  his  power  known,  endured  with  much 
long  suffering  the  vessels  of  wrath  fitted  to  dis- 
truction  ;  and  that  he  might  make  known  the 
riches  of  his  glory  on  the  vessels  of  mercy,  which 
he  had  afore  prepared  unto  glory,  even  us,  whom 
he  hath  called,  not  of  the  Jews  only,  but  also  of 
the  Gentiles  ?" 

Not  only  does  the  Apostle  labour  to  show  that 
the  remnant  of  the  house  of  Israel,  which  he  calls 
the  election,  were  elected  according  to  the  strict 
sovereignty  of  God,  and  called  by  the  riches  of 
sovereign  grace,  and  made  vessels  of  mercy  ac- 
cording to  the  same  unconditional  grace  of  God, 
but  he  also  directs  his  argument  to  prove  that  the 
blindness  of  the  Jews  in  general,  their  hardness  of 
heart  &c.  was  effected  also  by  the  sovereign  will 
and  pleasure  of  God,  "  According  as  it  is  written, 
God  hath  given  them  the  spirit  of  slumber,  eyes 
that  they  should  not  see,  and  ears  that  they  should 
not  hear.  And  David  saith,  let  their  table  be 
made  a  snare,  and  a  trap,  and  a  stumblingblock, 
and  a  recompence  unto  them  :  let  their  eyes  be 
darkened,  that  they  may  not  see,  and  bow  down 
their  back  alway."  On  the  same  subject  we  read 
Sn  the  prophecy  of  Isaiah  as  follows  ;  "And  he 
said,  go,  and  tell  this  people,  hear  ye  indeed,  but 
understand  not ;  and  see  ye  indeed,  but  perceive 
not.  Make  the  heart  of  this  people  fat,  and  make 
their  ears  heavy,  and  shut  their  eyes  ;  lest  they 
see  with  their  eyes,  and  hear  with  their  ears, 
and  understand  with  their  heart,  and  convert 
and  be  healed."  And  that  this  work  of  harden- 
ing and  blinding  the  house  of  Israel  was  effectu- 
ally done  we  have  the  assurance  in  the  12th 
chapter  of  the  gospel  of  St.  John :  "  But  though 


149 

he  had  done  so  many  miracles  before  them,  yet 
they  believed  not  on  him  :  that  the  saying  of  Esai- 
as  the  prophet  might  be  fulfilled,  which  he  spake, 
Lord,  who  hath  believed  our  report  ?  and  to  whom 
hath  the  arm  of  the  Lord  been  revealed  ?  There- 
fore they  could  not  believe,  because  that  Esaias 
said  again,  he  hath  blinded  their  eyes,  and  harden- 
ed their  heart,  that  they  should  not  see  with  their 
eyes,  nor  understand  with  their  heart,  and  be  con- 
verted, and  I  should  heal  them.  These  things 
said  Esaias  when  he  saw  his  glory  and  spake  of 
him."  In  this  passage  it  is  stated  that  "  they  could 
not  believe.''  It  is  therefore  evident  that  they  were 
effectually  blinded,  and  to  all  intents  hardened  so 

* 

that  to  believe  in  Jesus  was  not  in  their  power.  It 
appears  furthermore,  that  the  Saviour  himself  re- 
garded this  blindness  of  the  Jews  with  peculiar  cau- 
tion, and  delivered  his  doctrine  in  parables  on  pur- 
pose that  they  might  not  understand.  Of  this  we 
are  informed  in  Matthew  13th — "And  the  disciples 
came,  and  said  unto  him,  Why  speakest  thou  unto 
them  in  parables?  He  answered  and  said  unto 
them,  because  it  is  given  unto  you  to  know  the  mys- 
teries of  the  kingdom  of  heaven,  but  to  them  it  is 
not  given."  And  because  God  saw  fit  to  hide  the 
things  of  the  kingdom  of  his  grace  from  the  Jews, 
Jesus  expressed  his  thanks  to  the  Father  as  record- 
ed in  Matthew  1 1th— "  At  thaUime  Jesus  answered 
and  said,  I  thank  thee,  O  Father,  Lord  of  heaven 
and  earth,  because  thou  hast  hid  these  things  from 
the  wise  and  prudent,  and  hast  revealed  them  unto 
babes.  Even  so,  Father;  for  so  it  seemed  good  in 
thy  sight."  The  reason  here  given  why  the  Father 
had  hidden  these  things  from  the  Jews,  was  that  it 
seemed  good  in  his  sight  so  to  do, 

Let  us  attend,  in  the  next  place,  to  see  if  we  can 
learn  from  the  divine  testimony,  the  special  GOOD 
which  was  brought  about  by  the  exercise  of  the 
divine  sovereignty  in  the  instances  which  have  been 


150 

noticed.  This  is  a  subject  of  vast  concern,  for  the 
sentiment  we  embrace  respecting  it  directly  af- 
fects the  moral  character  of  the  divine  Being :  If 
we  consent  to  the  opinion,  that  the  elections  which 
we  have  noticed  are  elected  unto  eternal  life,  to 
enjoy  endless  felicity,  while  those  who  are  not  of 
the  elect  are  predestinated  to  everlasting  destruc- 
tion in  the  future,  eternal  world,  we  thereby  charge 
God  with  partiality ;  and  it  is  utterly  in  vain  to 
attempt  to  clear  the  divine  Being  of  this  partiality 
while  we  admit  such  a  sentiment.  It  is  true,  our 
Christian  doctors  have  contended,  that  some  were 
elected  from  all  eternity  unto  eternal  life,  and  the 
rest  of  mankind  were  reprobated  to  endless  misery 
for  the  glory  of  God ;  and  they  are  therefore  un- 
willing to  allow  that  there  is  any  partiality  in  God 
in  thus  disposing  of  his  creatures  for  his  own  glory. 
But  if  we  allow  ourselves  to  be  more  particular  on 
this  subject,  is  it  not  evident  according  to  this  sen- 
timent that  the  glory  of  God  requires  him  to  be 
good  and  merciful  to  some  men,  but  utterly  unmer- 
ciful to  others?  As  this  must  be  granted,  it  fol- 
lows of  necessary  consequence,  that  the  glory  of 
God  requires  him  to  be  partial.  Nor  does  it  alter 
the  case  in  the  least  to  say,  that  the  greatest  possi- 
ble good  of  the  whole,  requires  the  endless  misery 
of  some  ;  for  this  amounts  to  the  same  thing,  viz. 
the  greatest  possible  good  of  the  whole  consists  in 
partial  goodness,  which  is  an  absurdity.  If  we  are 
able  to  find  out  what  it  is  that  the  righteousness  of 
God,  according  to  the  purpose  of  election,  con- 
sists in,  it  must  be  something  that  accords  with  our 
views  of  moral  righteousness;  for  nothing  can  be 
more  evident  than  that  we  can  see  no  righteous- 
ness in  that  which  is  contrary  to  all  our  sense  of 
right.  For  instance,  should  an  earthly  parent  choose 
three  children  out  of  nine  to  partake  of  all  the  fa- 
vors which  he  could  possibly  bestow  from  his  am- 
ple wealth,  and  destine  the  remaining  six  to 


151 

most  severe  wretchedness  that  could  possibly  be 
endured,  and  all  this  should  be  directed  by  the 
sovereign  will  of  the  parent  without  any  regard  to 
the  conduct  of  the  children,  we  should  be  under 
the  necessity  of  pronouncing  this  conduct  partial 
and  unrighteous.  If  this  parent  should  inform  us, 
that  he  did  this  for  the  promotion  of  his  glory  as  a 
parent,  it  would  answer  no  purpose,  as  to  giving 
the  least  satisfaction  that  his  conduct  was  right. 
Or  if  he  should  inform  us  that  he  acted,  in  all  this, 
for  the  good  of  the  whole,  and  that  the  greatest 
good  of  the  whole  required  the  utter  ruin  and  de- 
struction of  two  thirds ;  this  would  reflect  no  light 
on  the  subject.  But  if  the  parent  of  nine  children 
had  a  piece  of  work  to  perform  which  was  indis- 
pensable for  the  richest  benefit  of  all  his  offspring, 
and  that  in  order  to  effect  this  object  it  was  neces- 
sary for  some,  two*  or  three,  to  know  certain  things 
relative  to  his  plan,  and  equally  necessary  for  the 
rest  to  be  ignorant  of  those  things  which  were  re- 
vealed to  the  few,  there  is  no  difficulty  in  seeing 
the  impartiality  of  the  parent  in  making  known  to 
certain  individuals  what  he  carefully  kept  from  the 
rest.  And  even  should  he  use  means  to  blind  his 
children  in  this  case  it  would  be  perfectly  consist- 
ent with  his  grand  object,  and  consistent  with  im- 
partial goodness. 

Christian  hearer,  suppose  yourself  one  of  the 
children,  who  was  enlightened  into  the  mysteries  of 
this  scheme  which  was  wisely  planned  for  the  best 
good  of  yourself  and  of  the  whole  family  ;  suppose 
too  that  you  sincerely  loved  all  your  family,  and 
could  clearly  see  how  all  were  to  be  benefitted  by 
the  blindness,  or  ignorance  of  those  who  were  un- 
enlightened, would  it  not  be  perfectly  natural  for 
you  to  thank  your  father  for  hiding  those  myste- 
ries from  them,  and  revealing  them  to  you  ?  With 
these  enlightened  views,  and  in  the  exercise  of  impar- 
tial love  towards  those  wb<?  were  ha  darkness  shorild 


152 

you  not  be  willing  to  suffer  any  reproach  from 
them  which,  on  account  of  their  necessary  ignorance, 
they  might  heap  upon  you  ?  And  would  you  not 
esteem  the  knowledge  of  the  truth  for  which  you 
might  sillier  sufficient  to  coutervail  all  your  suf- 
ferings ?  Sometimes  would  you  not  feel  such  ar- 
dent desires  towards  your  deceived  brethren  as 
would  lead  you  to  wish  yourself  in  their  ignorance, 
if  thereby  they  might  be  permitted  to  see  what 
you  were  blessed  with  seeing,  and  hear  that  which 
you  rejoiced  to  hear  ? 

Dearly  beloved  hearer,  your  humble  servant 
feels  perfectly  satisfied  that  this  is  the  true  spirit  and 
light  of  the  wisdom  of  God  ;  he  enjoys  a  full  per- 
suation  that  the  elections  of  God  recorded  in  the 
scriptures  are  all  established  on  this  eternal  princi- 
ple of  impartial  goodness,  and  that  every  elected, 
enlightened  child  of  God  is  exercised  with  this 
spirit  of  love  and  pity  for  those  who  are  in  unbe- 
lief. 

That  those,  of  whom  the  Apostle  spake  in 
our  text  as  not  obtaining  what  they  sought  for,  but 
were  blinded,  were  the  subjects  of  the  divine 
favor,  that  their  blindness  was  necessary  for  the 
benefit  of  the  world,  and  that  they  were  designed, 
in  the  wisdom  of  God,  to  be  partakers  of  the  bene- 
fits arising  to  the  world  from  their  blindness  and 
fall,  the  Apostle  fully  proves  in  the  chapter  where 
our  text  is  written,  as  we  shall  now  proceed  to 
show. 

Let  us  notice  the  text  and  what  follows  ;  "  What 
then  ?  Israel  hath  not  obtained  that  which  he 
seeketh  for  ;  but  the  election  hath  obtained  it,  and 
the  rest  were  blinded  (according  as  it  is  writteo, 
God  hath  given  them  the  spirit  of  slumber,  eyes 
that  they  should  not  see,  and  ears  that  they  should 
not  hear)  unto  this  day.  And  David  saith,  let 
their  table  be  made  a  snare,  and  a  trap,  and  a 
stumblingblock,  and  a  recompence  unto  them  :  let 


153 

their  eyes  be  darkened,  that  they  may  not  see,  and 
bow  down  their  back  alway."     Here  let  us  pause 
— Here  let  us  ask,  does  divine  revelation  close  thii 
subject  in  this  place  ?  Does  it  afford  no  hope  that 
these  blinded,  fallen  sons  of  Israel,  who  stumbled 
at  the  sturnbling-stone  laid  in  Zion  will  finally  be 
received  to  favor?  Are  the  inexorable   doors  of 
eternal  mercy  shut  against  them  by  an  unalterable 
decree  of  the  God  of  their  fathers  ?  If  all  this 
were  true,  then  would  the    doctrine    of  election 
and  reprobation,  as  has  been  held  in  the  Christian 
church  for  ages  be  true   also;  but  hark!    What 
does  the  inspired  apostle  say  further  on  this  sub- 
ject and  concerning  them  who  were  blinded   and 
had  stumbled?    "I  say  then,  have  they  stumbled 
that  they   should  fall  ?     God  forbid :   but  rather 
through  their  fall  salvation  is  come  unto  the  Gen- 
tiles, for  to  provoke  them  to  jealousy.     Now,  if  the 
fall  of  them,  be  the  riches  of  the  world,  and  the 
diminishing  of  them,  the  riches  of  the  Gentiles  ; 
how  much  more  their  fulness  ?    For  if  the  cast- 
ing   away    of  them  be    the  reconciling  of  the 
world,  what  shall  the  receiving  of  them  be  but 
life  from  the  dead. — For  if   thou   wert  cut  out 
of  the   olive-tree,  which  is  wild  by  nature,   and 
wert  grafted  contrary  to  nature  into  a  good  olive- 
tree,  how  much  more  shall  they,  which  be  the  na- 
tural branches  be  grafted  into  their  own  olive- 
tree  ?   For  I  would  not  brethren,  that  ye  should 
be  ignorant  of  this  mystery  (lest  ye  should  be 
wise  in  your  own  conceit,)  that  blindness  in  part 
is  happened  to  Israel,  until    the  fulness    of   the 
Gentiles  be  come  in.    And  so  all  Israel  shall  be 
saved ;  as  it  is  written,  there  shall  come  out  of  Sion 
the  deliverer,  and  shall  turn  away  ungodliness  from 
Jacob.    For  this  is  my  covenant  unto  them,  when 
I  shall  take  away  their  sins.    As  concerning  the 
gospel,  they  are  enemies  for  your  sakes :  but  jw 
2t> 


154 

touching  the  election,  they  are  beloved  for  the 
fathers'  sake.  For  the  gifts  and  calling  of  God., 
are  without  repentance.  For  as  ye  in  times  past, 
have  not  believed  God,  yet  have  now  obtained 
mercy  through  their  unbelief;  even  so  have  these 
also  now  not  belived,  that  through  your  mercy 
they  also  may  obtain  mercy.  For  God  hath  con- 
cluded them  all  in  unbelief,  that  he  might  have 
mercy  upon  all !"  On  such  luminous  testimony 
as  this,  comment  is  needless.  With  less  blindness 
than  that  which  happened  to  Israel,  no  one  can  a- 
void  seeing  that  it  was  the  design  of  the  inspired 
author  to  prove  that  the  Jews' blindness  was  ad- 
vantageous to  the  gentile  world,  and  that  they 
would  eventually  be  the  happy  partakers  of  that 
grace  which  was  revealed  to  the  Gentiles  by  means 
of  their  blindness.  The  hearer  will  carefully  ob- 
serve the  connection  between  this  subject  and  the 
one  treated  of  in  our  last  lecture,  and  examine  the 
whole  of  this  chapter  on  the  momentous  subject 
of  this  inquiry  by  which  he  may  see  the  glorious 
liijht  which  caused  the  Appostle  (o  exclaim  ;  "  O 
the  depth  of  the  riches  both  of  the  wisdom  and  the 
knowledge  of  God!  How  unsearchable  are  his 
judgments,  and  his  ways  past  tinding  out !" 

By  the  Calvimstic  doctrine  of  election  w^  have 
been  taught  to  believe,  that  the  remnant  according 
to  the  election  of  grace,  of  which  the  Apostle 
speaks  in  our  context,  "  the  election"  of  which  he 
speaks  in  our  text  were  all  that  were  the  beloved 
objects  of  divine  mercy,  of  the  whole  house  of  Is- 
rael; and  that  they  who  were  blinded,  were  pre- 
destinated from  eternity  to  endless  darkness  and 
misery.  But  by  the  evident  sense  of  the  divine 
testimony  on  this  subject  we  have  ample  evidence 
to  believe,  what  has  been  so  fully  proved,  that  "  all 
Israel  shall  be  saved."  Those  blinded  Jews  were 
the  objects  of  the  Saviours  grace  as  much  as  those 


155 

who  were  chosen  to  receive  and  preserve  thfe 
knowledge  of  him.  They  were  those  of  the  fam- 
ily, who,  it  was  necessary  should  be  ignorant  of  the 
truth  which  was  revealed  to  others  of  the  same 
family  for  the  benefit  of  all.  Our  blessed  Saviour 
manifested  towards  those  blinded  Jews,  the  most 
tender,  affectionate  regard.  His  pity  for  them 
melted  him  into  tears,  he  wept  over  them  with  as 
much  tenderness  as  Joseph  wept  over  his  breth- 
ren. 

St.  Paul  wai  one  of  the  family  who  was  for  some- 
time blinded  ;  during  which  time  he  was  active  in 
assisting  his  brethren  who  also  were  blind,  in  pro- 
secuting their  persecutions  against  the  enlightened 
disciples  of  Jesus.  He  was  afterward  himself, 
brought  toknow.  the  truth,  to  understand  the  mys- 
tery of  the  wisdom  and  goodness  of  God  in  blind- 
ing the  Jews,  and  he  ever  seemed  to  be  exercised 
with  a  spirit  and  disposition  of  compassion  for  his 
brethren  according  to  the  flesh. 

In  the  beginning  of  the  10th  chapter  of  this  epis- 
tlfe  he  expresses  himself  as  follows ;  "  Brethren,  my 
hearts  desire  and  prayer  to  God  for  Israel  is,  that 
they  might  be  saved."  In  the  beginning  of  the 
9th  chapter  he  has  the  following  indication  of  most 
fervent  benevolence ;  "  I  say  the  truth  in  Christ,  I 
lie  not,  my  conscience  also  bearing  me  witness  in 
the  Holy  Ghost,  that  I  have  great  heaviness  and 
continual  sorrow  of  heart.  For  I  could  wish  that 
myself  were  accursed,  from  Christ,  for  my  breth- 
ren, my  kinsmen  according  to  the  flesh."  Chris- 
tian hearer,  when  you  were  asked,  on  supposition 
you  were  one  of  the  family  that  was  enlightend  in 
certain  matters  concerning  which  your  brethren 
were  in  the  dark,  if  you  might  not  feel  willing  to 
exchange  circumstances  with  the  unenlightened, 
did  you  not  feel  an  assent  to  the  question?  And 
does  it  not  seem  that  this  was  the  exact  case  of  tl*e 


156 

Apostle?  He  knew  that  he  was  chosen  of  God, 
enlightened  by  the  Saviour,  made  a  vessel  of  mer- 
cy, and  ordained  to  the  work  of  the  ministry  for 
no  good  that  he  had  done.  It  was  not  possible, 
therefore,  that  with  all  this  knowledge,  he  could 
feel  unmerciful  towards  his  brethren,  who  remain- 
ed exactly  in  the  situation  from  which  the  grace 
of  God  had  taken  him.  It  was  therefore,  with  un- 
speakable satisfaction,  that  he  anticipated  the  hap- 
py ever.t  of  the  turning  away  of  ungodliness  from 
Jacob,  and  the  salvation  of  all  Israel. 

Brethren,  though  a  regret  is  felt  that  better  jus- 
tice has  not  heen  done  to  the  weighty  subject  un- 
der consideration,  yet  a  hope  is  entertained  that 
you  clearly  see,  that  the  blindness  of  those  Jews 
who  were  not  of  the  elect  spoken  of  in  our  text, 
was  designed  for  the  benefit  of  the  Gentile  world  ; 
and  that  when  their  blindness  shall  have  effected 
all  for  which  it  was  designed  in  the  wisdom  of  God, 
it  will  be  removed,  and  the  blinded  will  be  saved 
in  Sions  deliverer.  And  furthermore,  that  the 
elected  ones  were  chosen,  not  for  their  benefit 
alone,  but  for  the  good  likewise  of  those  who  \\uie 
not  elected. 

\Ve  may  now  look  for  a  moment,  and  see  if  this 
doctrine  of  election  agree  with  the  scriptures  gen- 
erally and  \vith  reason.  The  doctrine  of  election 
according  to  the  views  we  have  taken  of  it,  sup- 
poses that  those  who  arc  elected,  are  elected  for  the 
benefit  of  those  who  are  not  elected.  The  prophet 
Isaiah  in  the  42d  chapter  speaks  of  an  elect  of 
God  as  follows  ;  "  Behold  my  servant,  whom  ] 
uphold  ;  mine  elect,  in  whom  my  soul  delighteth  : 
I  have  put  my  Spirit  upon  him  ;  he  shall  bring  forth 

judgment  to  the    Gentiles.- 1  the   Lord  have 

called  thee  in  righteousness,  and  will  hold  thine 
hand,  and  will  keep  thee,  and  give  thee  for  a  cove- 
|iant  of  the  people  for  a  light  of  the  Gentiles ;  to 


open  the  blind  eyes,  to  bring  out  the  prisoners 
from  the  prison,  and  them  that  sit  in  darkness  out 
of  the  prison-house."  This  elect  of  God  is  the 
Lord  Jesus,  the  Saviour  of  the  world,  of  whom  the 
Apostle  John  says ;  "  we  have  seen  and  do  testify 
that  the  Father  sent  the  Son  to  be  the  Saviour  of 
the  world."  This  elect  of  God  is  the  One  Media- 
tor between  God  and  men,  the  man  Christ  Jesus, 
who  gave  himself  a  ransom  for  all  to  be  testified  in 
due  time."  Thus  it  is  evident  that  this  elect  was 
designed  for  the  benefit  of  the  whole  world. 

The  Saviour  also  himself  had  an  elect.  He 
chose  his  Apostles  and  ordained  them  to  preach 
his  grace  and  salvation  to  the  whole  world.  "'Go, 
ye,  into  all  the  world  and  preach  the  gospel  to 
every  creature."  This  elect  therefore,  was  for  the 
benefit  of  the  whole  world. 

Being  one  of  the  elect,  and  having  received  a 
dispensation  of  the  gospel  of  reconciliation,  St. 
Paul  said  to  the  Romans,  "  I  am  a  debtor  both  to 
the  Greeks  and  to  the  Barbarians,  both  to  the  wise 
and  to  the  unwise."  Here  we  see  that  what  the 
world  lacked,  the  Apostles  of  Jesus  had  for  it,  what 
the  wise  and  the  unwise  lacked  St.  Paul  had  for 
them.  The  Apostles  were  not  chosen  to  be  the 
exclusive  partakers  of  the  grace  which  they  re- 
ceived, but  were  commanded  by  the  divine  Master 
to  bestow  as  freely  on  others,  as  they  had  received. 
It  seems  a  fair  conclusion  from  the  facts  noticed, 
that  the  grace  of  God  which  is  specially  communi- 
cated to  his  elect  is  ultimately  designed  as  much 
for  those  who  are  not  elected  as  for  those  who  are. 

This  doctrine  is  perfectly  consistant  with  the 
dictates  of  reason  and  is  analogous  with  the  pru- 
dent management  of  civil  community. 

In  all  societies  a  few  are  elected  for  the  benefit 
of  the  whole.  They  are  never  chosen  to  monopo- 
lism all  the  blessing  of  society  to  themselves,  but  to 


158 

make  as  equal  a  distribution  of  burdens  and  favors^ 
df  expenses  and  profits  as  possible.  Look  at  the 
elected  officers  of  the  town  ;  they  see  for  the 
blind,  thfy  hear  for  the  deaf,  they  walk  for  the 
fame,  they  have  wealth  for  the  poor,  they  provide 
for  those  who  cannot  provide  for  themselves.  No- 
tice every  officer  in  the  general  government  of 
our  country,  up  to  the  presidency  ;  men  are  elect- 
ed to  fill  all  these  places,  not  for  their  exclusive 
benefit,  but  for  the  good  of  the  whole  union. 

Let  us  ask,  where  in  the  vast  creation,  did  the 
wisdom  of  this  world  find  the  Calvinistic  doctrine 
©f  election  and  reprobation  ?  Does  the  sun  shine 
to  light  himself  alone  ?  Are  his  fervid  beams  de 
signed  to  warm  his  own  bosom  only  ?  And  in  the 
mild  rays  of  the  queen  of  night  does  she  alone  re- 
joice ?  Do  winds  blow  to  refresh  themselves?  Are 
rivers  designed  for  their  own  benefit  ?  What  ele- 
ment, what  vegetable,  what  animal  exists  for  itself 
only  ? 

"  All  are  but  parts  of  one  stupendous  whole, 
Whose  body  nature  is,  and  God  the  soul." 

To  conclude.  Let  us  duly  notice  the  moral  teri- 
dancy  of  divine  truth,  as  seen  in  the  subject  un- 
der consideration.  God  is  good  to  all,  his  tender 
mercies  arc  over  all  his  works.  This  truth  de- 
ritandsof  every  rational  being  the-^xeicise  of  that 
diffusive  benevolence  which  embraces  the  whole 
creation.  Those  whom  God  chooses  to  enlighten  by 
his  grace,  while  others  are  blinded,  are  appointed 
to  administer  the  riches  of  the  manifold  wisdom 
uid  goodness  of  God  to  such  as  luck  the  knowledge 
df  his  ways.  The  spirit  of  Christ  is  love  to  ene- 
mies, his  grace  is  the  salvation  of  sinners ;  if 
therefore,  we  partake  of  his  spirit  and  enjoy  his 
^race,  we  shall  be  led  thereby  to  love  our  enemies 
and  to  administer  saving  grace  to  those  who  walk 
insi£.  hit  tioi  a  fart  that  limited  vievVs  of  the 


159 

goodness  of  God  have  limited  the  charity  of  those 
\vho  had  them  ?  and  have  not  those  opinions,  which 
maintain  that  the  Father  of  our  spirits  will  exe- 
cute unspeakable  vengeance  on  a  large  proportion 
of  the  human  family  eternally  effectually  hardened 
the  hearts  of  those  who  have  been  led  by  them, 
and  rendered  them  in  too  many  instances,  unrea- 
sonable enthusiasts  and  violent  persecutors  of  those 
who  have  not  conformed  to  their  superstitions  ? 

Not  only  does  the  impartial  grace  which  we 
have  seen  in  the  doctrine  of  election  lead  us  to  love 
all  men,  and  to  do  good  to  all  men,  but  it  shews 
us  that  we  are  no  better  than  those  who  are  blind 
respecting  this  diving  and  glorious  system  of  truth. 
This  doctrine  naturally  leads  the  believer  to 
pity  the  blindness  of  those  who  do  not  see  ;  but  it 
gives  the  consoling  anticipation  of  the  final  recon- 
ciliation of  all  things  through  Jesus  Christ  our 
Lord.  It  fills  the  heart  with  gratitude  to  God. 
who  so  wisely  planned  and  so  graciously  designed 
the  blindness  of  the  house  of  Israel,  that  thereby 
salvation  might  come  unto  the  Gentiles  ;  and  has 
so  ordained  in  his  impartial  goodness,  that  the 
blinded  .lews  shall  eventually  obtain  the  mercy 
now  enjoyed  by  the  Gentiles.  Thus  of  the  twain, 
the  wisdom  of  God  makes  one  new  man,  so  mak- 
ing peace.  Therefore  we  read ;  "  Rejoice  ye 
Gentiles  with  his  people.  And  again,  praise  the 
Lord,  all  ye  Gentiles ;  and  laud  him  all  ye  people/' 


No.  11. 

LECTURE  SERMON, 

DELIVERED  AT  THE 

SfeCOND  UNIVERSALIST  MEETING,  IN  BOSTON, 
DECEMBER  20,  1818. 

BY  HOSEA  BALLOU,  PASTOR* 


Published  Semi-Monthly  by  Henry  Bowen,  Devonshire-street, 


II.  CORINTHIANS,  v.  18,  19,  20. 

Vl  Jlnd  all  things  are  of  God,  who  hath  reconciled  us  to  himself  by  Jesut 
Christ,  and  hath  given  to  us  the  ministry  of  reconciliation  ;  to  wit, 
that  God  was  in  Christ,  reconciling  the  world  unto  himself,  not  im- 
puting their  trepasses  unto  them  ;  and  hath  committed  unto  us  the  word 
of  reconciliation.  Now  then,  we  are  ambassadors  for  Christ,  as 
though  God  did  btseech  you  by  us  :  we  pray  you  in  Christ"1*  stead,  be  yc 
reconciled  to  God." 

IT  is  a  peculiar  and  distinguishing  characteristic 
of  the  gospel  dispensation,  that  it  exhibits  a  new 
order  of  things,  brings  the  glad  tidings  of  better 
things  than  were  before  understood,  sheds  a  clearer 
light  on  mental  vision  than  was  before  enjoyed, 
makes  a  brighter  manifestation  of  the  gracious  de- 
signs of  the  wisdom  of  God  than  was  made  by  the 
legal  dispensation,  and  creates  new  views,  new  de* 
sires,  and  new  affections  of  heart.  Thegospel  of  God 
our  Saviour,  contemplates  the  world  of  mankind  as 
being  in  a  state  of  death,  from  which  state  its  divine 
efficacies  were  designed  to  quicken  man  into  new- 
ness of  life  by  the  spirit  of  truth.  These  sugges- 
tions seem  to  be  embraced  by  the  Apostle  in  our 
context  where  he  says ;  "  The  love  of  Christ  com- 
21 


162 

siraineth  us,  because  we  thus  judge,  that  if  one 
died  for  all,  then  were  all  dead  :  and  that  he  died 
for  all,  that  they  which  live  should  not  henceforth 
live  unto  themselves,  but  unto  him  which  died  for 
them,  and  rose  again.  Wherefore,  henceforth 
know  we  no  man  after  the  flesh ;  yea,  though  we 
have  known  Christ  after  the  flesh,  yet  now  hence- 
forth know  we  him  no  more.  Therefore,  if  any 
man  be  in  Christ,  he  is  a  new  creature  :  old  things 
are  passed  away;  behold,  all  thing  are  become 
new." 

Applied  to  the  Jewish  converts,  these  words  of 
the  Apostle  are  designed  to  notice  the  passing 
away  of  the  legal  dispensation  with  all  its  rites 
and  the  introduction  of  the  bitter  covenant  and 
more  excellent  ministry  of  the  gospel ;  and  as  they 
apply  to  Gentile  believers  they  regard  the  total  over- 
throw of  all  the  idols  and  idol  worship  among  the 
heathen,  and  their  reformation  to  the  knowledge, 
laws  and  ordinances  of  the  gospel  of  Christ. 

To  these  new  things  the  Apostle  alludes  in  our 
text  and  says  ;  "  all  things  are  of  God,  who  hath 
reconciled  us  unto  himself,"  &c. 

The  first  particular  subject  of  our  text  is  what  is 
embraced  in  the  reconciliation  of  the  ambassadors 
of  Christ  to  God.  Concerning  this  subject  the 
Apostle's  testimony  makes  the  following  things 
evident.  1st.  That  they  had  been  in  a  state  of 
unreconciliation.  2d.  That  the  whole  process, 
from  the  beginning  to  the  end  of  the  work  of  their 
reconciliation  was  of  God.  3d.  That  this  work 
was  effected  by  Jesus  Christ.  Perhaps  no  man  was 
ever  more  unreconciled  to  God,  to  Christ,  or  to 
the  gospel  than  the  author  of  our  text  had 
been  ;  and  it  was  well  known  to  him  that  he  was 
not  the  author  of  those  means  by  which  he  be- 
came reconciled.  He  well  knew  that  the  knowledge 
of  JesuSj  in  the  excellency  of  which  he  afterward 


163 

so  much  rejoiced,  was  by  no  means  the  object  of 
his  enquiry  or  persuit  at  the  time  and  on  the  oc- 
casion to  which  he  refers  when  giving  an  account 
of  his  miraculous  convertion  to  Christianity.  He 
often  adverted  to  his  views,  his  designs,  and  to  his 
conduct  while  opposed  to  the  gospel,  but  in  no 
instance  did  he  give  any  intimation  that  he  obtain- 
ed the  grace  of  the  Saviour  in  consequence  of  his 
own  faithful  exertions.  Similar  remarks  may 
justly  be  made  respecting  the  Apostles  who  were 
chosen  by  our  divine  Redeemer  during  his  per- 
sonal ministry.  Some  he  called  from  a  lucrative 
office  under  the  Roman  government,  others  from 
the  laborious  employment  of  fishermen  ;  but  it  is 
evident  that  the  Saviour  made  his  own  selections 
without  regard  to. the  wisdom  or  will  of  his  chosen, 
for  he  informed  them  as  follows;  "  Ye  have  not 
chosen  me,  but  I  have  chosen  you,  and  ordained 
you,  that  you  should  go  and  bring  forth  fruit." 
Indeed  there  is  an  evident  absurdity  in  the  sup- 
position that  God  reconciles  any  to  himself  on  ac- 
count of  their  good  works,  for  those  who  are  obe- 
dient unto  righteousness  are  not  unreconciled  to 
God.  For  want  of  making  proper  distinctions  be- 
tween causes  and  effects,  many  well  meaning  and 
pious  people  have  maintained  that  the  divine  favour 
is  to  be  obtained  by  the  penitence,  faith  and  good 
works  of  men,  not  discerning  clearly,  that  repent- 
ance, faith,  and  good  works  are  the  effects  and  not 
the  causes  of  the  favour  of  God.  Let  us  here  in- 
dulge a  simile.  A  number  of  children,  at  that  age 
when  passions  and  fancy  are  vastly  more  powerful 
than  reason  and  solkl  judgement,  leave  the  paternal 
mansion  disgusted  at  the  rules  of  prudence,  indus- 
try and  economy  established  in  the  domestic 
circle,  in  quest  of  fancied  pleasures  in  the 
indulgence  of  those  passions  which  grow  rest- 
less under  restraint.  The  race  is  short ;  they 


164 

soon  fall  into  wretchedness  and  want,  but  do  not 
yet  understand  their  errors.  To  save  them  from 
this  sad  condition  the  still  affectionate  father  un- 
dertakes to  make  such  communications  to  them  as 
may  convince  them  of  the  propriety  of  his  laws, 
the  indispensible  nececessity  of  his  prudence  and 
economy  for  the  good  of  his  family,  and  to  recon- 
cile them  to  himself.  The  means  which  the  father 
uses  for  the  purpose  mentioned  are  so  wisely  plann- 
ed and  so  well  executed  that  they  eventuate  in 
effecting  the  deserved  object.  The  children  be- 
come convinced  of  the  excellency  of  those  laws 
and  regulations  at  which  they  were  so  much  of- 
fended, they  see  the  madness  and  folly  of  their 
wicked  indulgences,  sorrow  of  heart  and  sincere 
repentance  are  effectually  wrought  in  them,  and 
they  finally  return  to  their  gracious  parent  and  de- 
vote themselves  to  his  service,  which  is  now  no 
longer  grievous,  but  joyous.  Would  it  be  at  all 
reasonable  for  these  reformed  children  to  believe 
that  their  repentance  and  return  to  their  parent 
were  means  which  obtained  the  love  and  good  will 
of  their  father  ?  Surely  it  would  be  most  unrea- 
sonable, for  it  is  evident  that  the  children's  repent- 
ance and  return  were  the  effects  and  not  the  causes 
of  the  parental  kindness.  In  the  enjoyment  of  all 
the  blessings  of  their  father's  house,  and  with  a 
clear  understanding  concerning  all  these  circum- 
stances, might  they  not  say  with  great  propiety, 
All  things  are  of  our  wise  and  most  merciful  Father, 
who  hath  reconciled  us  unto  himself  ? 

Let  us,  in  the  next  place,  lend  our  attention  to 
the  consideration  of  these  words  in  our  text  ;  "  and 
hath  given  to  us  the  ministry  of  reconciliation.5' 
By  these  words  we  learn  that  the  same  ministry,  by 
which  the  ambassadors  of  Christ  were  reconciled 
to  God,  was  given  to  them  for  the  purpose  of  re- 
conciling others ;  by  which  the  following  facts  are 


J65 

clearly  suggested.     1st.  That  mankind  at  large,  to 
whom  the  Apostles  were  directed  to  preach  the 
gospel,  was  in  the  same  state   of  unreconciliation 
in  which  these  ambassadors  of  Christ  had  been,  and 
from  which  the  ministry  of  divine  grace  had  re- 
claimed them.  2d.  That  the  same  divine  favour,  by 
which  these  ambassadors  were  reconciled  to  God,  is 
treasured  up  in  the  gospel  ministry  for  those  who 
remain  unreconciled  ;  and   3d.  That  the  ambassa- 
dors of  Christ  have  nothing  to   administer  to  the 
unbelieving  and  unreconciled  but  such  as  has  been 
administered  to  them,  by  which  they  became  recon- 
ciled to  God.     These  facts  are  evidently  embrac- 
ed in  this  part  of  our  subject  and  deserve  a  care- 
ful attention.      By   losing  sight  of  these   things, 
the  minister  of  the  word  is  exposed  to  corrrupt  it, 
and  in  room  of  administering  the  pure  gospel  of 
reconciliation,  as  it  has  been  communicated,  to  him- 
self, he  may  immagine  himself  authorised  to  deal 
with  others  in  a  very  different  manner  from  that 
in  which  the  divine  favour  was  administered  to  him. 
Without  any  design  to  trouble  the  feelings  of 
those  who  entertain  sentiments  differing  from  our 
own,  but  with  a  humble  desire  to  reflect  light  on 
our  subject,  let  us  ask  if  we  have  any  information 
which  authorises  us  to  believe  that  St.  Paul  was 
threatened  with  the  everlasting  vengeance  of  an  in- 
senced  vindictive  wrath  unless  he  repented  of  his 
sins  and  believed  in  the  Lord  Jesus?  It  is  true  the 
same  question  may  with  equal  propriety  be  asked 
concerning  all  the  Apostles,  but  the  single  case  of 
St.  Paul,  who  was  the  author  of  the  scripture  un- 
der consideration,  is  sufficient  to  try  the  question, 
and  place  the  subject  in  a  clear  light.     The  ac- 
count recorded  in  the  26th  of  Acts,   which  was 
solemnly  given  in  by  the  Apostle  himself,  before 
king  Agrippa  is  so  very  important  in  itself,  and  so 
essential  to  the  present  query  that  the  hearer  will 


166 

listen  with  attention  to  what  may  be  recited  from  it. 
After  having  given  a  particular  relation  of  his  past 
life  in  the  Jews'  religion,  his  full  persuasion  that  he 
aught  to  do  many  things  contrary  to  the  name  of 
Jesus,  and  that  he  actually  did  those  things  shutting 
up  the  saints  in  prison  and  giving  his  voice  against 
them  when  they  were  put  to  death,  punishing  them 
oft  in  every  Synagogue  and  compelling  them  to  blas- 
pheme, &c.  he  proceeds  as  follows  ;  "  Whereupon, 
I  went  to  Damascus  with  authority  and  commission 
from  the  chief  priests,  at  mid-day,  O  king,  I  saw  in 
the  way  a  light  from  heaven,  about  the  brightness 
of  the  sun,  shining  round  about  me,  and  them  that 
journied  with  me.  And  when  we  were  all  fallen  to 
the  earth,  1  heard  a  voice  speaking  unto  me,  and 
saying,  in  the  Hebrew  tongue,  Saul,  Saul,  why 
persecutest  thou  me  ?  It  is  hard  for  thee  to  kick 
against  the  pricks.  A  nd  I  said,  who  art  thou,  Lord  ? 
And  he  said,  I  am  Jesus,  whom  thou  persecutest. 
But  arise,  and  stand  upon  thy  feet :  for  I  have  ap- 
peared unto  thee  for  this  purpose,  to  make  thee 
a  minister  and  a  witness,  both  of  these  things 
which  thou  hast  seen,  and  of  those  things  in  the 
which  I  will  appear  unto  thee ;  delivering  thee 
from  the  people  and  from  the  Gentiles,  unto  whom 
now  I  send  thee,  to  open  their  eyes,  and  to  turn 
them  from  darkness  to  light,  and  from  the  power 
of  Satan  unto  God,  that  they  may  receive  forgive- 
ness of  sins,  and  inheritance  among  them  which 
are  sanctified  by  faith  that  is  in  me."  In  this  most 
solemn  and  interesting  account  is  there  the  least 
intimation  of  the  threatening  vengeance  noticed  in 
our  query  ?  Surely  there  is  not.  Indeed  there  ap- 
pears, to  have  been  no  conditions  stated  in  the 
case.  Jesus  said  to  Saul  ;  "  I  have  appeared  unto 
thee  for  this  purpose,  to  make  thee  a  minister  and  a 
witness,"  &c.  Jesus  did  not  appear  to  this  persecu- 
1or  to  propose  what  are  now  called  terms  of  grace 


167 

and  conditions  of  salvation,  but  to  make  him  a  min- 
ister and  a  witness.  And  as  there  were  no  threat- 
nings  nor  conditions  in  the  ministration  by  which 
Saul  was  converted  to  Christianity  and  made  a  min- 
ster of  the  same  ministry  of  reconciliation,  so  he  was 
not  directed  to  go  to  the  Gentiles  with  threatenings 
arid  conditions,  but  he  was  sent  to  them  to  open 
their  eyes  and  to  turn  them  from  darkness  to  light, 
and  from  the  power  of  satan  unto  God."  Jesus 
opened  Saul's  eyes  turned  him  from  darkness  to 
light,  and  from  the  power  of  satan  unto  God,  that 
he  might  receive  the  forgiveness  of  sins,  and  inheri- 
tance among  them  who  are  sanctified;  and  he  sent 
him  to  the  Gentiles  to  work  the  same  on  them. 

Tnat  the  Apostles  might  be  duly  furnished  with 
the  true  ministry  of  reconciliation ;  the  WORD  of 
reconciliation  was  committed  to  them  as  designat- 
ed in  our  text,  as  follows ;  "  That  God  was  in 
Christ,  reconciling  the  world  unto  himself,  not  im- 
puting their  trespasses  unto  them."  This  word 
and  ministry  of  reconciliation  does  not  impute 
men's  trespasses  to  them,  but  exercises  the  means 
of  reconciliation  on  them. 

That  this  subject  may  be  understood  according 
to  its  evangelical  principles  the  following  particu- 
lars, which  are  implied  in  the  words  under  consid- 
eration may  be  noticed.  1st.  God  ia  not  unrecon- 
ciled to  sinners  and  therefore  needs  not  to  be  re- 
conciled to  them.  2d.  Sinners  are  unreconciled 
to  God,  and  therefore  he  has  designed  to  reconcile 
them  to  himself  by  means  of  the  gospel  ministry  ; 
and  3d.  The  ministry  of  the  gospel  comes  with 
all  the  means  necessary  to  reconcile  sinners  t« 
God. 

The  opinion  that  our  heavenly  Father  became 
inimical  to  man  in  consequence  of  his  sin  is  not  on- 
ly in  direct  opposition  to  the  sentiment  of  our  text, 
tout  is  also  repugnant  to  the  essential  character  of 


the  divine  Being.  How  is  it  possible  to  maintain 
that  God  is  unchangeable,  the  same  yesterday  to 
day  and  forever,  and  yet  suppose  that  his  disposi- 
tion towards  his  creatures  is  changed  by  their  con- 
duct ?  Again,  it  denies  the  infinite  knowledge  of 
God  to  suppose  that  he  became  unfriendly  to  us  by 
reason  of  our  sin;  for  if  he  knew  before  he  made 
us  that  we  should  fall  into  temptation  and  become 
sinful,  he  had  all  the  reason  to  be  our  enemy  then 
that  lie  has  had  since.  Moreover  it  denies  the 
divine  goodness  to  allow  that  he  made  a  being 
when  he  knew  that  the  work  of  his  own  hands 
would  incur  his  divine  displeasure.  Indeed,  the 
supposition  that  our  Father  in  heaven  became  our 
enemy  in  consequence  of  our  sin,  makes  him  to 
violate  the  grand  principle,  which  more  than  any 
other,  distinctly  marks  out  the  law  of  righteousness 
expressed  by  the  Saviour  as  follows;  "  I  say  unto 
you,  love  your  enemies,  bless  them  that  curse  you, 
do  good  to  them  that  hate  you>  and  pray  for  them 
which  dispitefully  use  you,  and  persecute  you  ; 
that  ye  may  be  the  children  of  your  Father  which 
is  in  heaven  ;  for  he  maketh  his  sun  to  rise  on  the 
evil  and  on  the  good,  and  sendeth  rain  on  the  just 
and  the  unjust."  As  the  divine  Teacher,  in  the 
passage  here  recited,  notices  the  divine  Being  in 
the  character  of  a  Father,  it  may  be  proper  to  ob- 
serve in  this  place  that  it  is  inconsislant  with  the 
character  of  an  earthly  father  to  become  an  enemy 
to  his  offspring  because  his  child  is  disobedient* 
and  surely  it  would  be  much  more  repugnant  to 
the  character  of  our  heavenly  Father  to  become 
unfriendly  lo  us  for  our  faults. 

The  hearer  is  cautioned  against  construing  this 
reasoning  into  a  supposition,  that  our  heavenly 
Father  will  not  chastise  his  children  for  disobe- 
dience, for  chastisement  is  the  sure  pledge  of  the 
father's  love  and  faithfulness. 


169 

It  may  contribute  to  make  our  subject  still 
plainer,  if  we  enquire  for  the  possible  means  where- 
by the  di\7ine  Creator  could  be  reconciled  to  man- 
kind, if  he  were  once  our  enemy.  Will  it  be  said,  that 
what  his  Holy  Child  Jesus  has  done  in  our  world 
was  designed  by  his  Father  to  reconcile  him  to  the 
world  ?  Truly,  this  has  been  believed,  but  it  is  in 
direct  opposition  to  the  testimony  of  Jesus,  who 
said  ;  "  God  so  loved  the  world,  that  he  gave  his 
only  begotten  Son,  that  whosoever  belie veth  in 
him  should  not  perish,  but  have  everlasting  life. 
For  God  sent  not  his  Son  into  the  world  to  con- 
demn the  world ;  but  that  the  world  through  him 
might  be  saved."  If  God  sent  his  Son  into  the 
world  because  he  loved  it,  he  certainly  did  not  send 
him  into  the  world  to  reconcile  himself  to  those 
whom  he  loved.  It  is  a  thing  at  which  reason 
marvels,  that  learned  men  should  ever  have  been  so 
absurd  as  to  suppose,  that  God  could  use  means  to 
reconcile  himself  to  his  creatures,  and  that  the  suf- 
ferings of  Jesus  were  designed  for  this  purpose  ; 
for  if  God  loved  us  he  was  not  unreconciled  to  us  ; 
and  if  he  did  not  love  us,  but  was  an  enemy  to  us, 
he  would  have  done  nothing  for  our  good. 

Contrary  to  these  notions  of  reconciling  God  to 
men,  the  ministry  of  the  gospel  is  designed  to  re- 
concile men  to  God,  by  which  ministry  the  tres- 
passes of  men  are  not  imputed  to  them,  but  are 
forgiven. 

Let  us  in  the  next  place,  notice  the  efficacies  of 
the  gospel  ministry  to  effect  the  reconciliation  de- 
signed by  it.  To  understand  this  subject,  it  is 
necessary  to  know  the  cause  of  man's  unreconcilia- 
tion  Tiiis  is  his  ignorance  of  the  true  character 
of  God.  This  we  learn  from  St.  Paul's  words, 
Ephesians,  iv.  18.  Speaking  of  the  vanity  of  the 
Gentiles  and  their  alienations  he  says ;  "  Hav- 
ing the  understanding  darkened,  being  alienated 
22 


170 

from  the  life  of  God,  through  the  ignorance  that  is 
in  them,  because  of  the  blindness  of  their  heart." 
Because  this  was  the  situation  of  the  Gentiles, 
Jesus  told  the  Apostle  that  he  sent  him  to  them, 
to  open  their  eyes,  and  to  turn  them  from  dark- 
ness to  light.  If  there  were  any  property  of  the 
divine  Being,  that  is  inimical  to  us,  the  more  our 
eyes  were  opened  to  see  its  nature  the  more  unre- 
conciled we  should  be  to  it.  But  as  God  is  infi- 
nitely gracious,  unchangeably  merciful,  and  alto- 
gether lovely  the  more  our  eyes  are  opened  to  see 
and  understand  the  blessed  qualifies  of  his  nature, 
the  more  we  are  reconciled  to  him,  and  the  better 
we  love  him.  Again,  if  our  nature  were  totally 
opposite  to  the  nature  of  God  and  holiness,  the 
more  we  discovered  of  the  nature  ot  God,  the 
more  we  should  be  opposed  to  it. 

The  fact  is,  God  is  the  real  source  of  all  moral, 
intellectual  nature,  and  a  knowledge  of  him  is  the 
only  mean  by  which  we  can  be  reconciled  to  him, 
and  the  want  of  this  knowledge  is  the  real  cause  of 
our  unreconciliation. 

In  consistency  with  these  well  established  facts, 
the  gospel  ministry  brings  the  testimony  and  evi- 
dence of  the  love  of  God  and  of  his  divine  good- 
ness to  sinners.  The  following  is  the  testimony  ; 
"  When  we  were  without  strength,  in  due  time 
Christ  died  for  the  ungodly.  For  scarcely  for 
a  righteous  man  will  one  die  ;  yet  peradventure 
for  a  good  man  some  would  even  dare  to  die. 
But  God  comrnendeth  his  love  toward  us,  in  that, 

while  we  were  yet  sinners,  Christ  died  for  us. 

For  if,  when  we  were  enemies,  we  were  reconciled 
to  God  by  the  death  of  his  Son  :  much  more,  being 

reconciled,  we  shall  be  saved  by  his  life. But 

God,  who  is  rich  in  mercy,  for  his  great  love  where- 
with he  loved  us,  even  when  we  were  dead  in  sins, 
hath  quickened  us  together  with  Christ. Here 


171 

in  is  love,  not  that  we  loved  God  ;  but  that  he  loved 
us,  and  sent  his  Son  io  be  the  propitiation  for 
sins." 

By  such  testimony  it  is  seen,  that  the  ministra- 
tion of  reconciliation  brings,  in  the  most  direct 
manner,  the  love  of  God  to  the  understanding  of 
the  sinner,  by  which  repentance  is  wrought  in  the 
heart  and  the  soul  brought  to  love  God  ;  for  it  is 
the  goodness  of  God  that  leadeth  to  repentance, 
and  again,  we  are  told,  that  "  we  love  him  because 
he  first  loved  us.'' 

It  is  contended  by  many  that  it  is  dangerous 
to  inform  sinners  that  God  is  really  kind  and  mer- 
ciful to  them.  It  is  thought  that  this  information, 
if  it  be  true,  will  tend  to  make  them  worse.  Why 
then  do  the  scriptures  abound  with  such  testimony  ? 
And  again,  why  did  not  the  manifestation  of  the 
love  and  compassion  of  Jesus  to  Saul  make  him 
worse  ?  Jesus  said  to  him  ;  "  Saul,  Saul,  why  per- 
secutest  thou  me  ?"  Why  did  not  this  enemy  of 
Christ  reply  ;  I  persecute  you  because  you  love  me, 
I  hate  your  name  because  in  it  alone  1  am  sensi- 
ble I  have  salvation  ;  and  now  as  your  compassions 
fail  not,  and  you  are  determined  to  make  me  a 
minister  of  divine  mercy,  I  arn  determined  to 
hate  you  more  and  persecute  you  tenfold  to  what 
I  have  heretofore  ?  If  there  were  no  danger  in 
making  such  a  glorious  display  of  the  goodness  of 
God  to  this  so  great  an  enemy  of  the  gospel,  how 
should  it  happen  that  similar  manifestations  to 
sinners  now  should  be  so  very  dangerous  as  is  re- 
presented by  those  who  are  the  ministers  of  wrath 
and  condemnation  ? 

It  may  be  useful  in  this  place  to  notice  some  of 
the  similes  used  in  scripture  to  represent  the  min- 
istration of  reconciliation.  By  the  prophet 
Isaiah  Christ  is  called  a  LIGHT  to  lighten  the  Gen- 
tiles, and  Jesus  said  ;  "  I  am  the  light  of  the 
world ,"  and  having  communicated  his  light  to  his 


disciples,  he  told  them,  that  they  were  the  light  of 
the  world.  Now  according  to  the  objection  which 
we  have  noticed,  it  is  dangerous  to  give  light  to 
them  who  are  in  darkness,  for  it  may  make  them 
worse.  Jesus  said  ;  "  I  am  the  bread  of  life." 
This  is  the  bread  which  came  down  from  heaven 
and  giveth  life  to  the  world  ;  but  it  is  dangerous  to 
give  this  bread  to  sinners,  it  is  thought  it  may 
make  them  worse.  Jesus  represented  the  sinner 
by  those  who  are  sick,  and  himself  as  a  physician. 
Will  it  do  to  say,  it  is  dangerous  to  heal  the  sick 
because  it  may  make  them  worse?  No,  these  things 
are  not  so.  Those  who  have  been  delivered  from 
the  power  of  darkness  by  the  true  light,  have 
been  thereby  delivered  from  the  power  of  satan 
and  translated  into  the  "kingdom  of  God's  dear 
Son.  Those  who  have  eaten  of  the  bread  of  God 
have  found  it  to  be  spiritual  life,  and  those  who 
have  received  the  healing  balsam  of  the  divine 
Physician  have  felt  the  power  of  sin  to  die  within 
them,  and  have  been  reconciled  to  God  through 
Jesus  Christ. 

As  it  may  be  due  to  the  situation  of  some  minds, 
we  may  notice  a  question  which  is  so  often  stated, 
viz:  if  the  sinner  may  immediately  receive  divine 
favour,  when  and  where  is  he  to  be  punished  for 
his  sins  ?  This  question  is  made  of  great  concern  by 
those  who  believe  that  the  gospel  is  a  ministration 
of  condemnation.  But  there  is  one  thing  we  can- 
not but  observe  in  those  who  urge  this  ques- 
tion; they  never  ask  when  they,  themselves,  are 
to  be  punished  for  their  sins.  They  appear  to 
have  no  concern  about  this  weighty  question  as  it 
regards  themselves  ;  their  whole  concern  is  about 
sinners.  And  this  concern  is  not  for  fear  they  will 
be  punished,  but  for  fear  they  will  not  be. 

Let  us  return  the  question  to  those  who  bring  it, 
and  ask  them,  when  and  where  are  you  to  receive 
punishment  for  your  sins?  You  contend,  that 


173 

the  wicked  must  be  punished,  you  are  zealous  to 
have  the  wicked  punished ;  as  Nathan  said  to 
David,  "  thou  art  the  man." 

Turn,  Pharisee,  thine  eyes  within, 
Nor  further  search  abroad  for  sin. 

When  and  where  was  murderous  David,  king  of 
Israel,  punished  for  his  sins  ?  When  and  where 
was  the  author  of  our  text,  "  the  minister  and 
witness"  of  Jesus,  punished,  for  the  murders  which 
he  had  practised  on  the  innocent  lambs  of  Christ? 
We  answer  the  question  and  say,  sin  and  mise- 
ry are  inseparably  united  in  the  nature  of  cause 
and  effect.  When  and  where  we  are  sinful, 
then  and  there  we  are  our  own  tormentors.  "  The 
way  of  the  transgressor  is  hard — there  is  no  peace 
to  the  wicked." 

Look  at  the  nature  of  this  subject.  Jesus  ap- 
peared to  Saul,  to  make  him  a  minister  and  a  wit- 
ness, to  open  the  eyes  of  the  Gentiles.  But  when 
were  these  Gentiles  punished  for  being  blind  ? 
The  Apostle  was  to  turn  the  Gentiles  "  from  dark- 
ness to  light."  But  when  were  they  punished  for 
being  in  the  dark  ?  He  was  to  deliver  them  from 
the  power  of  sat  an.  But  when  were  they  punish- 
ed for  having  been  under  satan's  power  ?  My  bre- 
thren, satan's  yoke  is  a  hard  service,  his  govern- 
ment is  tyrannical,  and  his  power  is  oppressive. 

The  reason  why  our  heavenly  Father  has  sent 
the  ministration  of  his  grace  to  reconcile  sinners 
to  himself,  is,  that  they  may  receive  inheritance 
among  them  who  are  sanctified.  If  satan's  yoke  were 
easy  and  if  his  burden  were  light,  if  sin  and  happi- 
ness were  connected,  why  should  the  Almighty 
wish  to  deprive  his  creatures  of  this  felicity  ?  And 
if  sin  and  all  manner  of  vice  afford  happiness  to 
man  in  this  world,  why  will  they  not  be  permitted 
to  continue  hereafter,  and  there  continue  the 


source  of  human  happines  ?  There  never  was  a 
deception  lhat  operated  so  much  to  the  disadvan- 
tage of  mankind,  as  that  of  believing  that  happi- 
ness is  to  be  obtained  in  sin.  This  deception  makes 
slaves  of  millions,  who  devote  themselves  to  their 
blind  passions,  and  "  are  dead  while  they  live." 
From  this  deception,  from  this  slavery  and  from 
this  death  the  ministry  of  reconciliation  is  designed 
lo  deliver  the  world.  Therefore,  the  ambassadors 
of  Jesus,  cry,  as  in  our  text,  "  we  pray  you,  in 
Christ's  stead,  be  ye  reconciled  to  God." 

Reconciliation  to  God,  is  reconciliation  to  his  re- 
vealed attributes  and  will,  and  consists  in  a  confor- 
mity to  the  divine  commands.  A  profession  of  re- 
Jigion  may  be  totally  disconnected  with  the  reconcil- 
iation contemplated  in  our  text,  which  is  known, 
as  was  suggested  in  our  introduction,  by  new  views, 
new  affections,  and  new  desires.  If  we  judge  by 
their  fruits,  many  have  professed  the  religion  of  the 
Saviour,  who  have  no  different  views  from  what 
they  had  before,  only  they  now  believe  that  they 
are  more  righteous  than  their  neighbours  ;  and  re- 
main as  destitute  of  love  to  their  brethren  of  the 
human  family  as  ever.  God  is  love  ;  therefore  to 
be  reconciled  to  God,  we  must  be  reconciled  to  this 
divine  principle.  God  is  known  to  be  love  to  all 
his  creatures,  because  he  actually  does  good  to  all. 
If  we  love  all  God's  rational  offspring,  as  our  breth- 
ren, we  are  therein  reconciled  to  God.  St.  Paul 
says  ;  God  "will  have  all  men  to  be  saved,  and  to 
come  unto  the  knowledge  of  the  truth."  If  this 
will  be  in  us,  and  if  we  can  in  sincerity  pray  for 
this  will  to  be  accomplished,  we  are  therein  recon- 
ciled. We  are  commanded  to  love  our  enemies 
and  to  do  to  others  as  we  would  have  them  to  do 
to  us,  in  doing  which,  we  are  reconciled  to  God. 
We  are  commanded  to  forgive  those  who  trespass 
against  us,  in  which  we  resemble  our  Heavenly 


175 

Father  who  was  in  Christ  reconciling  the  world  unto 
himself,  not  imputing  their  trespasses  unto  them. 
We  are  commanded  to  forgive  one  another,  as  God, 
for  Christ's  sake  hath  forgiven  us.  This  is  confor- 
mity to  God.  We  are  required  to  do  justly,  to 
love  mercy,  and  to  walk  humbly  with  God ;  and  in 
so  doing  we  are  reconciled  to  him. 

But  says  our  opposer,  what  if  we  do  not  conform 
to  these  divine  requirements  ?  it  makes  no  differ- 
ence, if  God  loves  all  men,  wills  that  all  should  be 
saved,  and  does  not  impute  our  trespasses  to  us. 
Reply ;  Our  reconciliation  to  God,  and  our  con- 
formity to  his  will  and  all  his  requirements  is  the 
salvation  which  our  Heavenly  Father  wills  for  us; 
it  is  the  life  which  Jesus  came  to  give  to  the  world ; 
it  is  heaven,  it  is  joy  and  peace  in  the  Holy  Ghost. 
This  doctrine  is  the  doctrine  of  divine  love,  this 
love  is  a  fountain  of  living;  waters,  it  is  that  rivei- 
jvhose  streams  make  glad  the  city  of  our  God. 


No.  12. 

LECTURE  SERMON, 

DELIVERED  AT  THE 

SECOND  UNIVERSALIST  MEETING,  IN  BOSTON, 
JANUARY  3,  1819. 


BY  HOSEA  BALLOU,  PASTOR. 

Published  Semi-Monthly  by  Henry  Bowen,  DcTonshire-street 

JOHN  xii.  32. 
li  >And  /,  if  I  be  lifted  up  from  the  ear/A,  will  draw  all  men  unto  me." 

As  the  time  drew  near  that  the  Lord  of  glory, 
the  mediator  of  the  new  covenant  should  seal  his 
testament  with  his  blood,  there  came  to  his  disci- 
ples certain  Greeks,  and  said  to  Philip,  Sir,  we 
would  see  Jesus.  Philip  and  Andrew  comunicate 
this  request  to  their  master,  who  in  room  of  either 
consenting  to  their  request,  or  of  refusing,  replied 
saying,  "  The  hour  is  come  that  the  son  of  man 
should  be  glorified.  Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto  you, 
except  a  corn  of  wheat,  fall  into  the  ground  and 
die,  it  abideth  alone,  but  if  it  die,  it  bringeth*  forth 
much  fruit." 

These  Greeks,  being  Gentiles,  were  not  the  sub- 
jects of  the  ministry  of  Jesus  in  the  days  of  his 
flesh,  but  as  soon  as  he  should  be  put  to  death  in  the 
flesh  and  be  quickened  by  the  spirit,  then  would 
the  gospel  be  preached  to  the  Gentiles.  Therefore 
when  he  was  told  that  certain  Greeks  desired  to 
see  him,  he  spoke  of  his  being  glorified  in  sending 
23 


178 

his  gospel  to  them.  He  was  the  corn  of  wheat 
that  abode  alone  until  it  fell  into  the  ground 
and  died ;  but  after  it  died  and  was  quickened  it 
brought  forth  much  fruit,  "even  judgment  unto  the 
Gentiles.'*  The  Saviour  proceeded  to  speak  of  his 
sufferings,  saying ;  "  Now  is  my  soul  troubled  ; 
and  what  shall  I  say  ?  Father,  save  me  from  this  hour : 
but  for  this  cause  came  I  unto  this  hour.  Father, 
glorify  thy  name.  Then  came  there  a  voice  from 
heaven,  saying,  I  have  both  glorified  it,  and  will 
glorify  it  again.  The  people  therefore  that  stood 
by,  and  heard  it,  said,  that  it  thundered:  others  said, 
an  angel  spoke  to  him.  Jesus  answered  and  said,  this 
voice  came  not  because  of  me,  but  for  your  sakes. 
Now  is  the  judgement  of  this  world :  Now  shall  the 
prince  of  this  world  be  cast  out.  And  I,  if  I  be 
lifted  up  from  the  earth,  will  draw  all  men  unto 
me."  Here  again  it  seems  evident,  that  the  Re- 
deemer had  special  allusion  to  the  request  of  the 
Greeks.  As  if  he  had  said  ;  I  must  die ;  I  must  be 
lifted  up  upon  the  cross ;  I  must  be  laid  in  the  silent 
house  of  death ;  I  must  rise  from  the  dead,  bring 
life  and  iinmotality  to  light  through  the  gospel ; 
then,  not  only  these  few  Greeks  shall  be  permitted 
to  see  me,  but  I  will  send  forth  to  the  fulness  of  the 
Gentiles,  and  finally  the  Jews,  the  ministery  of 
reconciliation  by  which  I  will  "  draw  all  men  unto 


me." 


A  few  arguments  will  now  be  directed  to  prove, 
that  all  men  are  the  subjects  of  the  Redemer's  grace. 
This  point  of  doctrine  is  now  before  the  public 
mind,  and  more  than  any  other  invites  the  attention 
of  all  denominations.  It  is  true,  those  who  preach 
a  contrary  creed,  endeavour  as  much  as  possible  to 
pospone  the  consideration  of  this  subject,  and  they 
use  all  the  influence  which  they  can  possibly  bring 
to  act  on  the  public  mind,  to  turn  the  attention  of  the 


179 

people  from  a  candid  examination  of  it.  However, 
it  very  frequently  happens,  that  the  efforts  which 
are  designed  to  prevent  people  from  looking  into 
these  things  excite  their  curiosity  and  incite 
them  more  to  the  examination  than  if  nothing 
was  said  or  done.  If  it  were  a  crime  for  the  rulers 
of  the  Jews  to  associate  with  the  Saviour  and  at- 
tend on  his  instruction ;  if  excommunication  await- 
ed those  who  should  profess  Christ  openly,  there 
was  the  night  season,  when  the  enemies  of  the  Re- 
deemer were  either  locked  up  in  sleep,  or  perhaps 
in  superstitious  conclave,  scoffing  at  the  benign 
doctrine  of  grace  and  concerting  more  severe  meas- 
ures to  prevent  its  spread,  when  a  Necodemus, 
could  go,  unnoticed  to  Jesus  and  obtain  a  know- 
'  ledge  of  salvation.  If  the  wisdom  of  this  world  be 
crafty  enough  to  employ  gentle,  soothing,  and  per- 
suasive measures  to  quiet  the  people  in  that  old 
cruel  system  of  partiality  and  endless  misery,  it  is 
only  like  joging  the  cradle  to  quiet  the  child,  while 
its  criea  increase  with  its  want  of  nourishment.** 

This  doctrine  of  universal  salvation,  which  we 
propose  to  prove  in  this  discourse,  seems  to  be  fa- 
voured by  the  dictates  of  sound  reason,  and  fully 
supported  by  the  evidences  derived  from  the  nature 
of  the  manifest  economy  of  universal  providence. 

If  we  could  do  ourselves  the  justice  to  lay  aside 
all  the  prejudices  of  our  mistaught  minds  and  open 
our  eyes  to  the  light  of  reason,  and  our  ears  to  th« 
voice  of  enlightened  understanding,  we  should  soon 
find  our  minds  engaged  in  the  sweet  contemplations 
of  the  impartial  goodness  of  the  Supreme  ruler. 

The  same  creative  power  gave  existence  to  all 
men,  all  are  blessed  by  the  same  munificent  provi- 
dence, the  sun  that  makes  and  rules  the  day,  the 
moon  that  rules  the  night  discover  no  partiality  in 
dispensing  their  favours,  Do  not  the  rains  fait 


and  the  dews  descend  as  common  blessings  on  man- 
kind? Is  not  the  vital  air,  is  not  the  fullness  of 
the  waters  the  undivided  inheritance  of  man- 
kind ?  Is  there  an  element,  is  there  a  vege- 
table, is  there  a  fruit  which  nature  reserves  from 
the  general  store  house  of  him,  who  opens  his  hand 

and  satisfies  the  desire  of  every  living  thing  ? 

i          i          • 
Let  us  contemplate   the  unity  of  our  common 

nature,  the  dependence  of  one  on  another,  and  that 
eternal  indissoluble  law  by  which  we  are  united. 
Notwithstanding  there  is  an  infinite  variety  among 
mankind,  there  is  no  distinction  of  moral  nature  ; 
nor  is  there  a  genio  in  the  whole  family  of  man  that 
the  philopher  can  prove  to  be  useless  and  of  no  ad- 
vantage to  others.  Those  who  are  considered  to 
be  the  most  useful  members  of  community  fre- 
quently owe  their  means  to  be  so,  to  them,  who  be- 
ing placed  in  the  low  walks  of  life,  are  scarcely 
known  in  society.  What  would  kings  be  without 
subjects  ?  what  would  rulers  be  destitute  of  people  ? 
Are  not  servants  as  profitable  in  their  stations, 
as  their  masters  are  in  theirs  ?  and  are  not  the  rich 
and  the  poor  blessings  to  each  other  ?  The  sacred 
connections  of  husband  and  wife,  of  parents  and 
children,  of  brethren  and  sisters,  if  duly  contem- 
plated, furnish  a  most  delightful  prospect  of  the  de- 
pendences of  our  common  nature.  In  fact  it  seems 
that  mankind  forms  one  compact  indssoluble  body 
which  may  be  represented  by  the  human  frame, 
which  can  lose  none  of  its  members  without  be- 
ing rendered  maimed  and  incomplete. 

It  is  true  the  partial  system  has  driven  men  of 
deserning  minds  to  make  calculations,  that  the 
eternal  separation  of  those,  who  are  in  this  life 
united  by  the  tenderest  ties  of  our  nature,  and  the 
indiscribable  misery  of  children  will  occasion  an 
increase  of  the  parent's  happiness, 


181 

misery  of  parents  will  greatly  increase  the  felicity 
of  children  in  the  eternal  world.  But  it  must  be 
acknowledged  that  such  arguments  are  equally  as 
hostile  to  every  good  quality  of  man,  as  the  system 
which  they  are  designed  to  defend  is  to  reason  and 
revelation.  We  say,  that  men  of  descerning  minds 
have  been  driven  to  argue  thus,  for  they  can  dis- 
cern, that  unless  this  be  the  case,  what  they  call 
heaven  will  be  a  place  of  the  keenest  mental  tor- 
ment, that  can  be  conceived  of.  Losing  sight  of 
nature  and  of  nature's  God,  and  adhearing  to  their 
partial  creed,  many  contend,  that  at  what  they  call 
the  great  day,  parents  will  rejoice  to  see  their  offs- 
pring turned  away  into  the  burning  lake,  while 
other  instances  will  occur,  in  which  children  will 
sing  praises  to  God  in  the  highest  at  seeing  their 
parents,  the  inheriters  of  unspeakable  misery. 

If  we  can  suppress  our  indignation  against  such 
unhallowed  cruelty,  so  as  to  take  a  deliberate  view 
of  a  faint  simile,  we  may  suppose  that  the  sweet 
slumbers  of  a  numerous  family  are  suddenly  inter- 
rupted by  the  midnight  cry  of  fire.  They  are 
roused  from  sleep  amid  the  smoke  and  flames  of 
their  own  dwelling;  the  father  and  several  of  the 
eldest  children  but  just  make  their  escape  from  the 
devouring  element,  and  leave  the  wife  and  mother 
with  a  number  of  the  children  to  perish  in  the  flames. 
Now  observe,  the  doctrine  which  stands  opposed  to 
the  salvation  of  all  men,  and  which  can  support  it- 
self at  no  less  expense  then  to  inhance  the  felicities 
of  heaven  by  the  miseries  of  hell,  supposes  that  the 
happiness  of  the  husband  and  father,  on  finding  him- 
self safe  from  the  fire,  is  to  be  increased  by  his  see- 
ing the  companion  of  his  bosom,  the  mother  of  his 
children,  and  her  little  ones  in  the  flames,  and  by 
hearing  their  lamentable  cries  ;  and  these  children 
who  made  their  escape  are  to  possess  hearts  to  re- 


182 

joice  to  see  the  mother  that  watched  over  their  in- 
fancy and  childhood,  and  their  brothers  and  sisters 
perishing  in  the  most  excruciating  anguish. 

To  wound  your  feelings  with  such  a  simile  as  this, 
on  any  ordinary  subject  would  surety  require  an 
apology,  but  in  respect  to  the  subject  under  con- 
sideration our  simile  is  as  dim  as  the  faint  glimmer 
of  a  dying  taper  compaired  with  the  concenterated 
blaze  of  a  thousand  suns.  The  flames  that  destroy- 
ed the  unhappy  victims  were  merciful  to  terminate 
their  sufferings  in  a  moment,  that  nothing  but  the 
remembrance  of  the  sad  catastrophe  might  remain, 
but  the  flames  of  hell  and  its  "  lively  bright  hor- 
rors" are  supposed  to  exist  eternally,  to  gladden 
kindred  hearts,  and  to  brighten  the  joys  of  relative 
apirits  forever  and  ever! 

To  the  eye  of  candid  reason,  it  seems  perfectly 
clear,  that  to  make  an  eternal  separation  of  the  hu- 
man family,  and  to  place  one  part  in  a  state  of 
everlasting  misery,  would  render  the  whole  miser- 
able, let  the  line  of  separation  be  drawn  in  one 
place  or  another.  If  the  division  be  made  accord- 
ing to  the  doctrine  of  partial  election,  without  any 
regard  to  the  conduct  of  men,  the  husband  may  be 
chosen,  and  the  wife  a  reprobate,  in  another  case 
the  wife  may  be  chosen,  and  the  husband  a  repro- 
bate :  And  this  dividing  line  will  separate  parents 
from  their  children,  and  children  from  each  other, 
and  it  is  as  plain  as  any  thing  can  be  that  if  one 
Company  is  appointed  to  a  state  of  misery  the  other 
must  be. 

You  that  are  parents,  you  who  are  brothers  and 
iisters  are  called  on  to  judge  of  this  question. 
Suppose  your  nearest  and  dearest  connections,  as 
children  and  brethren  were  prisoners  in  an  enemy's 
land,  and  you  were  certified  by  letters  from  them, 
that  they  were  treated  in  the  most  cruel  manner, 


183 

their  lodging  the  cold  damp  ground,  their  food  scant 
and  unwholesome,  and  that  there  were  no  hopes  of 
their  ever  being  released,  could  you  be  happy  ? 
Without  the  least  commiseration  could  you  repose 
on  your  beds  of  down,  and  feast  yourselves  at  your 
sumptuous  tables?  All  this  you  know  to  be  im- 
possible. 

Or  suppose  this  final  separation  is  to  be  made 
with  due  reference  to  the  works  of  men  in  this 
world,  this  alters  not  the  case,  for  we  cannot  be 
happy  while  our  connections  suffer  even  for  their 
faults. 

If  we  draw  a  reasonable  conclusion  from  the 
manifest  goodnsss  of  God  to  all  men,  in  his  tempo- 
ral providence,  and  if  we  assist  this  conclusion  by 
the  considerations  already  suggested  of  the  unity 
and  dependence  of  our  nature,  we  must  decide  in 
favour  of  the  proposition  for  which  we  contend  ; 
for  it  is  most  unreasonable  indeed  to  suppose,  that 
the  system  of  the  Redeemer's  grace,  which  derives 
its  origin  from  the  same  source,  from  whence 
came  every  principle  of  our  existence  and  every 
favor  of  divine  providence,  is  less  benevolent  in  its 
designs  or  less  efficacious  in  its  means. 

We  may  now  notice  some  of  the  evidences,  which 
support  the  doctrine  of  universal  grace,  found  in 
the  divine  testimony.  We  say  some  of  the  eviden- 
ces, because  it  would  require  much  time,  and  supe- 
rior abilities  to  those  employed  on  this  occasion  to 
bring  the  whole  of  this  sort  of  evidence  into  view. 
Indeed  we  must  be  very  limited  on  this  part  of  our 
subject  that  we  may  avoid  using  too  many  of  the 
passages  already  recited  in  these  lectures  for  the 
same  purpose,  and  that  the  hearer's  patience  be  not 
too  much  burdened. 

The  text  under  consideration  may  first  be  notio 
ed.  ID  this  passage  Jesus  promises  to  draw  off 


184 

men  unto  himself.  And  his  testimony  concerning 
those  who  come  to  him  is  as  follows :  "  I  am  the 
bread  of  life;  he  that  corneth  to  me  shall  never 
hunger ;  and  he  that  believeth  on  me  shall  never 
thirst."  By  this  passage  it  is  evident,  that  by  com- 
ing to  him,  and  by  believing  on  him,  Jesus  meant 
the  same  thing.  He  farther  says ;  "  Him  that  com- 
eth  to  me  I  will  in  no  wise  cast  out — No  man  can 
come  to  me,  except  the  Father,  which  hath  sent 
me,  draw  him  :  and  I  will  raise  him  up  at  the  last 
day.  It  is  written  in  the  prophets,  and  they  shall 
be  all  taught  of  God.  Every  man,  therefore,  that 
hath  heard,  and  hath  learned  of  the  Father,  comcth 
unto  me." 

By  these  passages  we  learn,  that  the  instructions 
and  the  drawings  of  the  Father  are  the  only  mean? 
by  which  men  can  come  to  Christ.  They  further- 
more teach  us,  that  those  who  are,  by  such  means, 
drawn  to  the  Saviour  will  not  be  cast  off.  Thus 
the  evidence  issues  in  a  most  direct  confirmation 
of  the  proposition  to  be  proved. 

St.  Paul,  in  his  first  epistle  to  Timothy  say?, 
that  God  "  will  have  all  men  to  be  saved  and  to 
come  unto  the  knowledge  of  the  truth."  And  Je- 
sus said  ;  "  I  came  down  from  heaven  ;  not  to  do 
mine  own  will,  but  the  will  of  him  that  sent  me." 
Suppose  one  of  you  own  an  hundred  sheep,  and 
they  all  break  from  your  enclosure  and  go  astray, 
they  all  enter  into  your  neighbour's  pasture.  In 
room  of  sending  them  home,  he  endeavours  to  retain 
them,  and  uses  all  possible  means  to  prevent  their 
return.  You  direct  your  shepherd  to  go  and  seek 
and  save  that  which  is  lost.  You  teli  him,  that  it  is 
your  will  that  he  returns  the  whole ;  the  shepherd 
is  told  by  your  enemy  who  retains  your  flock  that 
he  will  give  up  a  few  of  the  sheep,  but  must  keep 
the  greatest  part.  The  shepherd  replies  ;  I  have 


185 

not  come  io  negotiate  for  the  sheep,  I  have  come 
to  do  the  will  of  him  that  sent  me.  How  can  this 
will  be  done  and  yet  but  a  few  of  these  sheep  re- 
turn ? 

The  will  of  God  is  further  expressed  by  St.  Paul, 
as  follows  ;  "  Having  made  known  unto  us  the  mys- 
tery of  his  will,  according  to  his  good  pleasure, 
which  he  hath  purposed  in  himself:  that  in  the  dis- 
pensation of  the  fulness  of  times  he  might  gather 
together  in  one  all  things  in  Christ,  both  which  are 
in  heaven,  and  which  are  on  earth ;  even  in  him." 
Again  he  says  ;  "  Wherefore  God  also  hath  highly 
exalted  him,  and  given  him  a  name  which  is  above 
every  name  ;  that  in  the  name  of  Jesus  every  knee 
should  bow,  of  things  in  heaven  and  things  on  earth, 
and  things  under  the  earth  ;  and  that  every  tongue 
should  confess  that  Jesus  Christ  is  Lord,  to  the  glo- 
ry of  God  the  Father."  And  furthermore  he 
says  ?  "  For  it  pleased  the  Father,  that  in  him 
should  all  fulness  dwell,  (and  having  made  peace 
through  the  blood  of  his  cross)  by  him  to  reconcile 
all  things  unto  himself;  by  him,  I  say,  whether  they 
be  things  on  earth,  or  things  in  heaven."  To  these 
we  may  subjoin  the  passage  we  treated  of  in  our 
last  lecture  ;  "And  all  things  are  of  God,  who  hath 
reconciled  us  to  himself  by  Jesus  Christ,  and  hath 
given  to  us  the  ministry  of  reconciliation ;  to  wit, 
that  God  was  in  Christ  reconciling  the  world  unto 
himself,  not  imputing  their  trespasses  unto  them  : 
And  hath  committed  unto  us  the  word  of  reconcilia- 
tion. Now  then,  we  are  ambassadors  for  Christ, 
as  though  God  did  beseech  you  by  us,  we  pray  you 
in  Christ's  stead,  be  ye  reconciled  to  God :  for  he 
hath  made  him  to  be  sin  for  us,  who  knew  no  sin, 
that  we  might  be  made  the  righteousness  of  God  in 
him."  If  the  hearer  will  allow  these  and  concurrent 
passages  their  natural  agreement  and  signification 
24 


186 

they  must  be  considered  sufficient  evidence  to 
prove  that  the  design  of  the  Saviour's  grace  is  the 
salvation  of  all  men. 

Another  argument  in  favour  of  our  proposition, 
and  which  is  thought  to  be  sufficient  of  itself  to 
establish  it,  is  drawn  from  the  revealed  fact  that  it 
is  consistent  with  the  holiness  of  God  for  him  to 
love  sinners  and  to  bestow  the  greatest  possible  fav- 
ours upon  them.  The  scripture  informs  us  that 
"  God  commendeth  his  love  towards  us,  in  that, 
while  we  were  yet  sinners,  Christ  died  for  us."  And 
a^ain ;  "  But  God,  who  is  rich  in  mercy,  for  his 
great  love,  wherewith  he  loved  us,  even  when  we 
were  dead  in  sins,  hath  quickened  us  together  with 
Christ."  Now  if  it  be  consistent  with  the  holiness 
of  God  for  him  to  love  those  who  are  dead  in  sin, 
and  to  commend  his  love  to  such  by  the  death  of 
Christ  for  them,  and  to  quicken  them  together  with 
Christ,  it  proves  beyond  all  controversy,  that  sin  is 
no  objection  to  God's  granting  his  grace  and  salva- 
tion to  men.  Standing  in  the  light  of  this  glorious 
truth,  and  feeling  the  life  of  the  spirit  of  this  grace, 
who  can  be  so  hard  hearted  as  to  sentence  millions 
of  their  fellow  sirmers  to  endless  darkness  and  woe? 
In  this  spirit  of  love  and  grace  it  seems  the  divine 
Redeemer  stood,  when  he  said ;  "  And  I,  if  I  be 
lifte  1  up  from  the  earth,  will  draw  all  men  unto  me." 
It  is  granted  on  all  hands,  that  God  can  never 
change  ;  he  is  the  same  yesterday,  to-day,  and  for- 
ever. Yesterday  and  to-day  he  was  and  is  the 
friend  and  lover  of  sinners.  How  then  is  it  possible 
that  he  should  ever  cease  to  love  these  beings  and 
to  do  them  good  ? 

This  argument  provokes  the  Pharisee  to  start 
the  old  trite  objection,  that  the  doctrine  leads  to 
licentiousness.  This  objection,  though  it  has  been 
fairly  removed  hundreds  of  times,  will  never  leave 


i87 

ihe  world  as  long  as  a  Pharisee  remains  in  it.  If 
the  manifestation  of  the  divine  love  to  sinners  have 
a  natural  tendency  to  encourage  them  in  sin,  why 
did  God  comment  his  love  unto  us,  in  that  while 
we  were  yet  sinner*,  Christ  died  for  us  ?  Why  are 
those  blessings  of  the  divine  Providence,  to  which 
the  Saviour  adverted  for  proof  that  God  loves  his 
enemies,  continually,  and  with  such  profusion  scat- 
tered down  upon  us?  Are  we  serving  the  cause  of 
religion  and  moral  virtue  by  persuading  people  to 
believe  that  the  goodness  of  God  naturally  leads 
men  to  sin.  My  brethren,  should  you  believe  me 
your  friend  if  I  persuaded  your  children  to  the 
opinion,  that  if  you  love  them,  notwithstanding 
their  faults,  it  is  no  matter  what  they  do,  and  that 
it  is  even  better  for  them  to  violate  all  your  whole- 
some laws  and  to  treat  your  advice  and  admonitions 
with  contempt  ?  Surely  if  there  be  any  such  thing 
as  a  heinous  siain  our  world,  we  have  it  here  un- 
der consideration.  Because  our  heavenly  Father 
gives  us  life  and  all  the  numerous  blessings  of  life 
must  we  improve  all  his  favors  to  dye  our  souls  in 
the  crimson  of  sin  ?  Because  Jesus  hath  loved  us 
and  given  himself  for  us,  is  there  no  way  we  can 
act  like  reasonable  beings  only  by  hating  him  and 
disobeying  his  commands  ?  O  ingratitude  !  legiti- 
mate child  of  the  Pharisee,  retire,  cold  and  unfeel- 
ing, to  the  frosty  bosom  from  whence  thou  came. 

It  has  already  been  suggested,  that  by  coming 
unto  Christ  is  meant,  being  taught  of  God  and  be- 
lieving in  Christ ;  and  this  was  seen  by  the  words 
of  Christ  in  the  6th  of  John,  which  have  been  quot- 
ed. They  therefore,  who  come  to  Jesus,  come  to 
him  in  their  understanding ;  they  receive  him  as 
their  prophet  to  teach  them,  their  priest,  who  offer- 
ed himself  for  the  sinner,  without  spot  unto  God, 
and  as  a  king  to  rule  them.  The  blessings  enjoyed 


188 

in  consequence  of  coming  to  Christ  are  expressed 
in  his  most  gracious  words,  recorded  in  Mat.  xi.  ; 
"  Come  unto  me,  all  ye  that  labour  and  are  heavy 
laden,  and  I  \\ill  give  you  rest.  Take  my  yoke 
upon  you,  and  learn  of  me  ;  for  I  am  meek  and  low- 
ly in  heart;  and  ye  shall  find  rest  unto  your  souls. 
For  my  yoke  is  easy,  and  my  burden  is  light." 
How  lovely  does  the  Saviour  appear  in  his  gracious 
invitations  and  promises.  He  invites  all  to  come 
to  him  ;  he  promises  to  draw  all  men  to  him ;  he 
promises  to  give  them  all  rest  and  an  easy  service ; 
he  promises  that  he  will  in  no  wise  cast  any  out. 
Well  did  the  dear  Redeemer  say  ;  "  I  will  draw 
all  men  unto  me.  The  doctrine  of  Jesus  is  per- 
fectly calculated  to  draw  men.  It  holds  up  to 
view  those  virtues  and  those  advantages  which  are 
powerful  attractive?.  In  the  passage  just  recited, 
those  who  labour  and  are  heavy  laden  are  promis- 
ed rest.  What  can  be  more  inviting  to  any  who 
have  for  a  long  time  laboured  under  an  intolerable 
burden,  than  an  opportunity  to  cast  it  off,  and  to 
enjoy  rest  ?  Suppose  men  were  in  bondage  and 
hard  servitude,  as  \\ere  the  Israelites  in  Egypt,  op- 
pressed with  severe  taskmasters  and  made  to  serve 
with  the  most  cruel  rigour;  and  a  humane,  benevo- 
lent prince  should  ransom  them  all,  and  invite  them 
into  his  country,  where  they  should  have  all  things 
they  wanted  without  money  and  without  price, 
where  no  law  but  the  perfect  law  of  liberty  exists, 
where  they  would  have  no  service  to  perform  but 
such  in  which  they  should  have  perfect  delight  and 
freedom,  would  not  a  clear  manifestation  of  these 
facts  draw  them  away  from  the  tyrant  to  their  kind 
deliverer  and  Saviour?  Would  it  be  necessary  to 
threaten  them,  and  preach  up  terror  to  them? 
"Would  it  be  proper  to  tell  them  that  the  person 
\vhp  had  ransomed  them  would  come  and  put  them 


189 

to  the  most  cruel  tortures  if  they  did  not  immed- 
iately enter  into  his  service?  Under  all  these  cir- 
cumstances would  it  be  necessary  to  tell  these  mis- 
erable wretches,  that  it  is  true  their  present  servi- 
ces are  very  light,  merely  nothing  in  comparison 
with  the  service  of  the  prince  who  had  purchased 
them,  but  then  this  prince  will  punish  them  all 
with  the  most  cruel  tortures  if  they  do  not  enter 
his  service  without  delay  1  If  any  thing  could  pos- 
sibly opperate  to  deceive  these  redeemed  ones,  and 
to  keep  them  in  slavery  it  must  be  some  such  de- 
ceit. As  certain  as  they  should  be  made  to  be- 
lieve such  falsehoods,  they  would  make  nice  calcu- 
lations not  to  go  into  the  hated  service  any  sooner 
than  just  to  escape  the  tortures  threatened.  But 
suppose  they  should  go  to  this  person  in  conse- 
quence of  these  threatenings,  they  would  not  be 
drawn,  they  would  be  driven.  'Jesus  did  not  say, 
I  will  drive  all  men  to  me.  If  we  were  to  judge  by 
some  preaching  that  we  hear,  we  should  suppose 
the  preachers  were  sent  to  drive  us  to  heaven,  in  the 
greatest  haste  too,  for  fear  our  Redeemer  should 
destroy  us  ? 

The  Saviour  says  in  the  6th  of  John,  as  before 
quoted  ;  "lam  the  bread  of  life ;  he  that  cometh 
to  me  shall  never  hunger."  What  is  more  drawing 
to  the  destitute,  foodless  poor  than  the  gladsome 
news  of  bread  without  money,  and  without  price? 
Suppose  such  a  famine  as  was  in  Egypt  and  all  the 
countries  round  about  it  should  visit  the  United 
States,  the  provisions  of  the  land,  after  the  most 
prudent  measures  had  been  taken,  is  nearly  ex- 
hausted, pale  hunger  makes  its  appearance  on  all 
faces  and  the  wisest  know  of  no  relief;  at  this  aw- 
ful crisis  a  large  fleet  from  a  foreign  country  ar- 
rives with  vast  quantities  of  bread  as  a  present  to 
us  !  how  would  it  draw  the  people.  In  what  crouds 


190 

would  they  rush  along  the  streets ;  how  would 
every  eye  and  every  countenance  brighten  with 
gladness.  In  such  a  circumstance  as  this  what 
should  we  think  of  a  man  who  should  come  forward 
and  say  ;  *«  I  am  sent  by  the  monarch  who  has  sent 
you  bread,  to  warn  you  to  apply  immediately  for 
his  bounty  that  you  may  escape  his  vengeance  ? 
And  what  should  we  think  of  the  people  who  should 
spend  their  time  to  hear  these  terrors  proclaimed? 
In  such  a  time  of  favour  and  rejoicing,  would  it  be 
seemly  to  stop  the  hungry  and  tell  them  they  have 
no  right  to  the  free  bounty  that  has  arrived  unless 
they  really  believe  in  this  act  of  goodness  ?  Would 
»t  be  thought  indispensably  necessary  to  have  a 
creed  written,  with  well  studied  articles  to  the 
number  of  thirty-nine,  for  the  people  all  to  learn  by 
heart  before  they  should  be  allowed  to  taste  the 
bread  of  life  ?  Would  it  be  treating  those,  who 
were  fainting  for  want  of  food,  according  to  the 
benevolent  designs  of  the  gracious  doner  of  these 
ample  provisions,  to  prevent  their  receiving  this  un- 
purchased,  unconditional  favour,  by  suggesting  con- 
ditions, terms,  and  articles  of  faith  to  be  complied 
with  and  believed?  Suppose  the  articles  are  all 
made  out  according  to  the  wisdom  of  him,  who 
urges  their  necessity,  but  the  people  cannot  under- 
stand them.  Some  are  mysterious,  some  are  in  di- 
rect opposition  to  others ;  one  explains  them  in 
one  way ;  and  another  explains  them  in  another 
way,  many  profess  to  believe  them  because  they 
are  told  that  they  cannot  obtain  favour  unless  they 
do.  Those  who  should  believe  in  this  case  might 
believe  themselves  to  death,  and  close  their  eyes 
without  seeing  the  salvation  which  mercy  hath  sent 
them:  others,  whose  minds  should  revolt  at  a  creed 
which  contains  contradictions  would  be  turned 


191 

away  as  unbelievers,  and  fare  no  better  than  those 
who  believe. 

Jesus  says ;  "  If  any  man  thirst  let  him  come 
unto  me  and  drink."  The  unfortunate,  who 
have  suffered  hunger  and  thirst  in  sultry  climes, 
inform  us  the  want  of  drink  is  vastly  more  severe 
than  the  want  of  food.  Here  then  the  merciful 
Saviour  makes  use  of  a  simile  which  gives  the 
most  striking  idea  of  his  goodness.  •  Of  a  number  of 
faint,  weary,  hungry,  and  thirsty  pilgrims,  on  burn- 
ing sands,  if  one  should  cry  out  to  his  fellows  here 
is  water !  How  quickly  would  it  draw  them  all 
together. 

The  prophet  Isaiah,  speaking  of  Jesus,  says ; 
"  A  man  shall  be  an  hiding  place  from  the  wind, 
and  a  covert  from  the  tempest ;  as  a  river  of  water 
in  a  dry  place :  as  the  shadow  of  a  great  rock  in  a 
weary  land."  How  very  inviting,  how  attracting, 
how  drawing  are  the  favours  here  noticed.  The 
beasts  of  the  field  and  the  fowls  of  the  air  seek  these 
favours.  When  storms  and  winds  beat  on  them, 
they  seek  a  shelter ;  when  they  are  thirsty  you  find 
them  by  the  streams ;  and  when  a  sultry  sun  is  vehe- 
ment you  find  them  in  the  shade.  Do  you  ask 
what  these  things  mean  ?  I  >o  you  inquire  how  you 
can  obtain  so  great  a  favour?  The  word  is  nigh 
thre,  even  in  thy  heart  and  in  thy  mouth.  Jesus 
is  made  unto  us,  wisdom,  righteousness,  sanctifica- 
tion,  and  redemption.  To  be  drawn  to  Christ  is 
to  be  drawn  into  wisdom,  whose  ways  are  pleasant- 
ness and  all  her  paths  are  peace.  It  is  to  be  drawn 
into  righteousness,  which  is  heaven.  It  is  to  be 
drawn  into  sanctification,  which  is  holiness.  It  is 
to  be  drawn  into  redemption,  which  is  freedom 
from  the  law  of  sin  and  death.  O  Jesus,  how  great 
is  thy  promise !  Thou  wilt  draw  all  men  unto 


192 

thyself.  Then  shall  every  creature  which  is  in 
heaven,  and  on  the  earth,  and  under  the  earth,  and 
such  as  are  in  the  sea,  and  all  which  are  in  them ; 
say,  blessing  and  honour,  and  glory,  and  power,  be 
unto  him  that  sitteth  upon  the  throne  and  unto  the 
Lamb,  for  ever  and  even 


• 

No.  13. 

LECTURE  SERMON, 

DELIVERED  AT  THE 

SECOND  UNIVERSALIST  MEETING,  IN  BOSTON, 
JANUARY  17,  1819. 


BY  HOSEA  BALLOU,  PASTOR. 


Published  Semi-Monthly  by  Htory  Bowen,  DeTonahire-gtrett. 


PSALM,  cxxvi.  6. 

"  Ht  that  goeth  forth  and  weepeth,  bearing  precious  teed  shall,  doubllcst, 
come  again  with  rtjoicing,  bringing  hit  theavtt  with  Aim." 

PIVINE  wisdom  has  seen  fit,  that  the  commence- 
ment of  those  affairs  which  are  designed  to  .termi- 
nate in  great  and  extensive  blessings  to  mankind, 
should  be  distinguished  for  the  hardships,  painful 
labours,  extreme  difficulties,  privations,  uncom- 
mon sufferings,  sorrow  and  tears  which  attend 
them.  This  remark  will  be  found  to  be,  general- 
ly, appropriate,  whether  applied  to  political  or 
religious  concerns,  and  is  often  justified  by  the 
experience  of  individuals.  This  sentiment  seems 
symbolically  expressed  in  our  text  and  its  intro- 
duction. To  represent  the  reverse  of  condition 
which  Zion  experienced  by  a  deliverance  from 
captivity  the  prophet  says ;  "  When  the  Lord 
turned  again  the  captivity  of  Zion,  we  were  like 
them  that  dream.  Then  was  our  mouth  filled  with 
laughter,  and  our  tongue  with  singing  :  then  said 
they  among  the  heathen,  the  Lord  hath  done  great 
things  for  them.  The  Lord  hath  done  great  things 
25 


194 

for  us,  whereof  we  are  glad.  Turn  again  our  cap 
tivity,  O  Lord,  as  the  streams  in  the  south.  They 
that  sow  in  tears  shall  reap  in  joy.  He  that  goeth 
forth  and  weepeth,  bearing  precious  seed  shall, 
doubtless,  come  again  with  rejoicing,  bringing  his 
sheaves  with  him." 

From  the  scanty  portion  of  grain,  on  which  the 
husband-man  depends  to  bread  his  dependant  fami- 
ly, he  takes  a  selected  portion,  and  having  with 
much  labour  prepared  his  field,  he  commits  the  pre- 
cious seed  to  the  bosom  of  the  earth.  His  fears 
anticipate  draught,  blasts,  and  mildews  ;  his  hope 
endures,  as  seeing  things  that  are  invisible,  and  looks 
forward  to  the  time  when  neaven  shall  reward  his 
toils  with  a  joyful  harvest,  and  return  him  thirty, 
sixty  or  an  hundred  fold.  The  autumn  comes 
and  brings  the  golden  harvest,  and  plenty  calls  for 
songs  of  gratitude  and  joy.  But  to  the  eye  of  in- 
experience how  mysterious  would  this  appear. 
The  portion  of  bread  corn  is  already  scant,  and 
the  husband  of  a  numerous  family  takes  part  of 
this  and  buries  it  in  the  earth.  It  appears  as  an 
unreasonable  waste.  Thus  we  frequently  judge 
of  the  ways  of  divine  Providence;  and  are  led  to 
say,  if  God  were  good  to  his  creatures,  why  should 
such  and  such  things  be  permitted  to  wound  our 
tenderest  feelings  ?  Why  should  such  sorrows  be 
sent  as  the  inheritance  of  the  oppressed,  the  in- 
nocent, and  the  defenceless  ?  Not  being  able  to 
see  the  end  from  the  beginning  of  events,  we  are 
often  misguided  in  judgment,  and  entertain  doubti 
of  the  divine  goodness  towards  us.  But  could  we 
comprehend  the  mysterious  wisdom  of  God  by 
which  he  turns  every  thing  to  the  good  of  his  crea- 
tures, causing  light  afflictions,  which  are  but  for  a 
moment,  to  work  for  us  an  exceeding  weight  of  glo- 
ry, we  should  at  once  conclude,  that  the  measure 
of  evil  endured  by  the  creatures  of  God,  is  a* 


195 

nothing  when  compared  with  the  glory  that  shall 
be  revealed  in  us,  and  which  can  be  traced  back 
to  those  afflictions,  which,  during  their  continuance, 
were  grieveous. 

These  introductory  observations  seem  to  lead 
the  mind  into  an  extensive  field,  where  an  infinite 
variety  of  objects  invite  our  attention  to  the  con- 
templation of  the  wisdom  and  goodness  of  God,  in 
causing  light  to  shine  out  of  darkness,  order  to 
grow  out  of  what  appears  to  us  confusion,  peace 
of  mind  from  sorrow  of  heart,  tranquility  out  of 
trouble,  prosperity  out  of  adversity,  in  a  word, 
good  from  what  we  call  evil,  strength  from  weak- 
ness and  glory  from  shame.  But  keeping  in  mind 
that  proper  limits  must  bound  the  labours  of  a  lec- 
ture, the  audience  is  invited  to  contemplate  our 
subject  as  manifested  in  the  Saviour  of  mankind. 

Jesus  went  forth  in  our  world  weeping,  bearing 
and  sowing  precious  seed,  and  he  shall  doubtless, 
come  again  rejoicing,  bringing  his  sheaves  with 
him.  He  sowed  in  tears,  he  shall  reap  in  joy  ;  he 
shall  see  of  the  travail  of  his  soul  and  be  satisfied. 

Our  first  enquiry  will  be  directed  to  notice  the 
occasion  of  our  Saviour's  tears. 

Jesus  was  possessed  of  the  sensibilities  and  sym- 
pathies of  our  nature  in  their  purity  and  perfection, 
which  caused  him  to  feel  the  afflictions  of  the  af- 
flicted, the  sorrows  of  the  sorrowful  and  the  distress 
of  the  distressed.  Many  proofs  of  this  are  found 
in  the  history  of  the  Saviour.  We  may  notice  him 
at  Bethany  where  he  raised  Lazarus  from  the  dead. 
Notwithstanding  he  knew  what  he  was  about  to  do, 
and  that  Lazarus  would,  in  a  few  minutes,  be  a  liv- 
ing man,  to  the  astonishment  and  joy  of  his  weep- 
ing sisters,  such  was  the  tenderness  of  his  lovely 
mind  and  sweet  affections,  that  when  he  saw  the 
Jews,  who  had  come  to  comfort  the  bereaved  sis- 
ters, weeping,  and  the  two  disconsolate  sisters  weep- 


ing,  he  himself  groaned  in  spirit  and  wept  with 
them.  Let  those  who  mourn  remember  thisi  and 
realize  that  their  sorrows  are  duly  noticed  by  him 
who  is  the  resurrection  and  the  life,  who  hath  the 
keys  of  hell  and  death.  That  power  of  life  arid 
salvation,  which  gloriously  triumphed  at  the  tomb 
of  him,  who  had  been  dead  four  days,  is  still  the 
same,  and  has  given  assurance,  that  as  in  Adam  all 
die,  even  so  in  Christ  shall  all  be  made  alive. 

On  that  most  joyful  occasion  of  the  enterance  of 
Jesus  into  Jerusalem  riding  upon  an  Ass,  when 
the  people  in  vast  multitudes  welcomed  the  King  of 
Zion,  and  praised  God  with  a  loud  voice  for  all  the 
mighty  works  they  had  seen,  saying,  blessed  be  the 
King  that  cometh  in  the  name  of  the  Lord ;  peace 
in  heaven,  and  glory  in  the  highest;  the  blessed 
Jesus,  in  room  of  being  elated  with  these  tokens 
of  submission  and  expressions  of  joy,  in  room  of 
participating  the  exceeding  gladness  of  the  people, 
his  mind  seemed  intent  on  a  very  different 
subject,  the  account  of  which  is  as  follows  ; 
"  And  when  he  came  near  he  beheld  the  city,  and 
wept  over  it  saying,  if  thou  hadst  known,  even 
thou  at  least  in  this  thy  day,  the  things  which  be- 
long unto  thy  peace  !  but  now  they  are  hid  from 
thine  eyes.  For  the  days  shall  come  upon  thee, 
that  thine  enemies  shall  cast  a  trench  about  thee, 
and  compass  thee  round,  and  keep  thee  in  on  every 
side  and  shall  lay  thee  even  with  the  ground,  and 
thy  children  within  thee  ;  and  they  shall  not  leave 
in  thee  one  stone  upon  another  ;  because  thou 
knewest  not  the  time  of  thy  visitation." 

Having  a  clear  view  of  the  sword,  the  famine, 
and  the  pestilence  which  would  surely  come  on 
Jerusalem,  and  knowing  that  the  youth  who  were 
then  4  ii  the  days  of  their  innocence,  would  be  the 
sufferers  in  this  calamity,  the  Saviour  was  deeply- 
affected  and  wept. 


J97 

Suppose  you,  who  love  thelown  of  Boston  for 
a  thousand  reasons,  which  we  have  not  time  to 
name,  should  be  certified  by  a  divine  communica- 
tion, that  this  metropolis  should,  within  forty  years, 
suffer  all  the  dreadful  calamities  of  a  long  siege, 
attended  with  famine  and  pestilence,  with  factions 
within,  which  should  waste  the  strength  and  the 
blood  of  the  inhabitants,  until  the  place  should  be 
given  up  to  an  enraged  enemy,  that  should  have  no 
mercy  on  those  who  should  fall  into  their  hands, 
could  your  eyes  look  on  the  stately,  magnificent 
buildings,  knowing  they  would  all  be  leveled  with 
the  ground,  could  they  behold  the  lovely  youth, 
who  now  make  such  a  charming  appearance  in 
these  streets  and  churches  without  weeping  ?  Such 
was  the  occasion  of  those  tears  which  the  compa- 
sionate  Jesus  shed  over  the  devoted  Icity  of  his 
father  David.  He  looked  on  that  pride  and  joy  of 
the  earth,  he  beheld  the  temple  of  God,  that  wonder 
of  the  world,  he  knew  that  the  time  of  their  dis- 
truction  was  within  that  generation  ;  his  gracious 
eyes  beheld  the  lovely  youth  \xhose  thousands 
then  adorned  the  venerable  habitations  of  their  an- 
cesters,  and  knew  that  they  would  be  the  distress- 
ed sufferers  in  the  calamities  to  which  that  nation 
and  city  were  appointed. 

When  he  was  going  to  Calvary  to  suffer  death 
from  the  wicked  hands  of  the  people,  who  by  their 
persecutions  of  him  and  his  disciples  were  filling 
up  the  measure  of  their  sins,  he  was  evidently 
more  concerned  for  the  sufferings  that  people 
were  bringing  on  themselves  and  on  their  children, 
than  for  what  he  himself  was  about  to  endure. 
When  he  saw  the  great  company  of  people,  and  of 
women,  who  followed  him  lamenting  his  fate,  he 
turned  and  said  unto  them  ;  "  Daughters  of  Jeru- 
salem, weep  not  for  me.  but  weep  for  yourselves, 
and  for  your  children.  For,  behold,  the  days  arc 


198 

coming  in  the  which  they  shall  say,  blessed  are  Ihe 
barren,  and  the  wombs  that  never  bare,  and  the 
paps  which  never  gave  auck.  Then  shall  they  be- 
gin to  say  to  the  mountains,  fall  on  us,  and  to  the 
hills,  cover  us.  For  if  they  do  these  things  in  a 
green  tree,  what  shall  be  done  in  the  dry  ?" 

If  the  hearer  will  indulge  a  digression  in  this 
place,  liberty  will  be  taken  to  remark  on  two  par- 
ticulars. First,  it  does  not  appear,  from  the 
Saviour's  speech  here  recited,  that  his  own  suffer- 
ings were  of  that  kind  or  degree  that  has  been  re- 
presented by  christain  doctors.  They  have  sup- 
posed that  the  sufferings  of  Christ  were  far  beyond 
any  possible  comparison,  even  greater  than  we 
can  conceive,  and  that  this  rendered  them  effica- 
cious with  his  Father  to  procure  our  pardon  of  sin. 
Now  if  hi*  sufferings  were  so  immense,  why  should 
he  represent  to  the  daughters  of  Jerusalem  that 
they  had  more  reason  to  weep  for  themselves  and 
their  children,  then  for  him  ? 

Secondly,  it  does  not  appear  that  the  Saviour 
thought  of  the  subject,  which  has  been  the  weigh- 
ty burden,  of  those  minds,  who  have  consigned  the 
inhabitants  of  Jerusalem  to  everlasting  misery  in 
the  future  world,  for  he  spake  of  nothing  but  of 
their  sufferings  in  this  life.  If  it  had  been  known 
to  Jesus,  that  all  the  sufferings  which  that  people 
was  appointed  to  endure  in  the  destructions  that  he 
denounced  upon  them,  were  nothing  in  comparison 
with  what  they  must  suffer  in  another  world,  why 
<lid  he,  when  he  wept  over  Jerusalem,  speak  of  the 
destruction  of  that  city  and  its  inhabitants  by  the 
1iand  of  their  enemies,  and  neglect  to  say  anything 
on  the  subject  of  their  future  sufferings,  which  were 
Lo  be  intiniu-ly  greater  ?  The  candor  of  the  hearer 
•vill  do  justice  to  these  remarks,  while  we  return  to 
our  subject. 

r£he  prophet  Isaiah  represents  our  Saviour  a 


199 

man  of  sorrows  and  acquainted  with  grief.  He 
grieved  and  wept  for  the  auctions  and  sufferings 
of  mankind  ;  he  felt  the  woes  of  human  nature  ;  he 
bore  their  sicknesses  and  carried  their  sorrows, 
but  the  angel  of  his  presence  upheld  him  ;  he  was 
touched  with  the  feelings  of  all  our  infirmities. 

The  superstition,  the  bigotry,  and  the  traditions 
of  the  people  wherewith  they  made  void  the  law  of 
God,  and  the  hardness  of  their  hearts  were  a  pecu- 
liar cause  of  his  grief.  Such  was  their  blindness 
that  his  mirai  les  could  not  open  their  eyes  ;  and 
such  was  the  hardness  of  their  hearts  that  his  love, 
pity  and  mercy  did  not  soften  them.  What  stub- 
born, unyielding  and  forbidding  ground  was  this! 
There  was  but  here  and  there  a  spot  where  the 
precious  seed  that  he  sowed  could  be  received  into 
good  ground,  and  promise  a  future  harvest. 

We  may  now  direct  our  attention  to  enquire 
what  seed  the  Saviour  sowed,  and  to  ascertain  its 
precious  qualities. 

In  the  13th  chapter  of  Matthew,  Jesus  repre- 
sents himself  as  a  sower,  who  went  forth  to  sow  ; 
"  And,  when  he  sowed,  some  seeds  fell  by  the 
way-side,  and  the  fowls  came  and  devoured  them 
up.  Some  fell  upon  stony  places,  where  they  had 
not  much  earth  ;  and  forthwith  they  sprung  up,  be- 
cause they  had  no  deepness  of  earth:  and  when  the 
sun  was  up  they  were  scorched ;  and,  because  they 
had  no  root  they  withered  away.  And  some  fell 
among  thorns  ;  and  the  thorns  sprung  up  and  chok- 
ed them.  But  others  fell  into  good  ground,  and 
brought  forth  fruit,  some  an  hundred-fold,  some 
sixty-fold,  some  thirty-fold."  In  the  same  chapter 
he  says  ;  "  He  that  soweth  the  good  seed  is  the  son 
of  man."  Again,  he  signifies  that  by  seed  he  means 
the  "  word  of  the  kingdom."  And  furthermore  he 
represents  the  kingdom  of  heaven  by  "  a  grain  of 
mustard-seed,  which  a  man  took  and  sowed  in  his 


200 

iield.v'  It  is  evident  by  these  scriptures,  that  Jesus 
represented  his  doctrine  by  "  good  seed."  The 
doctrine  of  Christ  is,  therefore,  our  present  subject. 

Here  it  is  worthy  of  notice,  that  the  great  teach- 
er sent  of  God,  though  he  taught  a  doctrine  which 
was  very  different  from  that  which  wastaught by  the 
doctors  of  his  day,  was  never  the  author  of  a  set  of 
articles  of  faith  called  a  cre»d.  And  it  is  likewise 
of  importance  to  notice,  that  in  this,  his  Apostles 
faithfully  followed  his  example.  The  work  of 
framing  creeds  is  the  invention  of  men. 

Jesus  founded  his  doctrine  and  all  he  came  to 
do,  on  the  divine  character  and  will  of  his  Father. 
He  said ;  "  I  came  down  from  heaven,  not  to  do 
mine  own  will  ;  but  the  will  of  him  that  sent  me. — 
— God  sent  not  his  Son  into  the  world  to  condemn 
the  world ;  but  that  the  world  through  him  might 

be  saved. The  Son  of  man  came  not  to  call  the 

righteous,  but  sinners  to  repentance. The  Son 

of  man  came  to  seek  and  to  save  that  which  was 
lost." 

By  these  precious  sayings  of  Jesus  we  are  cer- 
tified that  God  is  merciful  to  sinners,  wills  their  sal- 
vation, and  sent  his  Son  for  this  very  purpose. 

In  the  5th  of  Matthew,  Jesus  sets  forth  his  pre* 
cious  doctrine  in  the  plainest  terms  possible,  as 
follows  ;  "  I  say  unto  you,  love  your  enemies,, 
bless  them  that  curse  you,  do  good  to  them  that  hate 
you,  and  pray  for  them  which  despitfully  use  you, 
and  persecute  you  ;  that  ye  may  be  the  children 
of  your  Father  which  is  in  heaven  :  for  he  maketh 
his  sun  to  rise  on  the  evil  and  on  the  good,  and  send- 
eth  rain  on  the  just  and  on  the  unjust.  For  if  ye 
love  them  which  Jove  you,  what  reward  have  ye  ? 
Do  not  even  the  publicans  the  same  ?  And  if  ye 
salute  your  brethren  only,  what  do  ye  more  than 
others  ?  Do  not  even  the  publicans  so  ?  Be  ye 
therefore  perfect,  even  as  your  Father  which  is  in 
heaven  is  perfect." 


201 

By  this  most  precious  testimony  we  are  assured 
that  our  Father  who  is  in  heaven  loves  his  enemies ; 
and  we  are  furthermore  certified  that  we  are  re- 
quired to  do  the  same.  How  many  articles  of 
faith  is  it  necessary  to  arrange  in  order,  to  com- 
prehend this  subject  ?  How  long  is  it  necessary  for 
a  good  scholar  and  a  bright  genius  to  spend  at  a 
theological  school  in  order  to  understand  this  doc- 
trine ?  It  pains  the  speaker  to  the  heart,  that  he  is 
obliged  to  say,  that  theological  schoojs  are  em- 
ployed in  teaching  youth  how  to  evade  the  plain 
testimony  of  Jesus,  and  how  to  keiep  the  people 
from  receiving  it. 

In  the  15th  of  Luke,  the  Saviour  sets  forth  his 
doctrine  of  salvation  in  three  parables.  He  was 
induced  to  do  this  in  reply  to  the  Pharisees  and 
Scribes,  who  murmured  at  him  because  he  receiv- 
ed sinners  and  ate  with  them.  In  the  first  parable 
he  represents  sinners  and  their  salvation  by  a  lost 
sheep,  which  the  owner  seeks,  finds,  and  carries 
home ;  in  the  second,  by  a  piece  of  money  which 
a  woman  lost,  sought  and  found.  He  furthermore 
represents  the  angels  in  heaven  rejoicing  more  over 
one  sinner  that  repenteth,  than  over  ninety 
and  nine  just  persons  who  need  no  repentance  ; 
and  in  the  last  he  sets  forth  the  return  of  sinners  to 
God  by  the  return  of  the  prodigal  son  to  his  father. 

This  sower  of  the  precious  seed  of  the  kingdom 
of  God,  was  particular  in  planting  the  doctrine  of 
the  divine  goodness  ;  and  in  order  to  hand  it  to  us  in 
the  most  acceptable  manner,  he  says ;  "  If  ye  then, 
being  evil,  know  how  to  give  good  gifts  unto  your 
children,  how  much  more  shall  your  Father  which 
is  in  heaven  give  good  things  to  them  that  ask 
him  ?" 

Nothing  can  be  more  evident,  than    that  our 
tieavenly  Father  is  more  kind  to  us,  who  are  evil, 
than  we  are  to  our  children,  according  to  this  pre- 
cious testimony  of  our  Saviour.    This  is  precious 
26 


202 

need  in  very  deed,  ft  is  precious  beyond  all  com- 
parison. This  declaration  of  him,  who  went 
forth  weeping,  bearing  precious  seed,  is  of  more 
value  than  all  the  bodies  of  divinity  which  have 
been  written  since  the  enemy  sowed  tares  among 
the  wheat. 

Let  us  ask  ourselves,  notwithstanding  we  are 
evil,  and  too  frequently  err  in  our  conduct  to- 
wards our  children,  could  we  possibly  consign  our 
dependent  offspring  to  endless  torments  for  their 
childish  faults?  And  yet  such  is  the  common  doc- 
trine taught  by  the  creeds  of  men,  that  little  chil- 
dren are  instructed  to  repeat  sentences  which  teach 
them  to  believe  that  their  heavenly  Father  will 
torture  millions  of  his  creatures,  in  never  ending 
misery  !  How  painful  is  ttie  thought,  that  such  a 
sentiment  should  be  imprinted  in  the  tender  minds 
of  our  innocent  children,  concerning  whom  Jesus 
said  ;  "  Suffer  little  children,  arid  forbid  them  not, 
to  come  unto  me  ;  for  of  such  is  the  kingdom  of 
heaven."  O  how  precious  is  this  kind  declaration 
of  the  Saviour,  to  parents !  This  is  the  testimony 
of  him,  who  is  now  at  the  right  hand  of  God.  Com- 
pare these  words  of  Jesus  with  the  popular  doc- 
trine of  the  total  depravity  of  infants,  and  of  hell's 
containing  millions  of  them,  who  never  saw  the 
light  of  the  sun  ! 

Such  is  the  vast  importance  of  the  comparison 
here  suggested,  that  the  cnndid  attention  of  the  au- 
dience is  invited  to  consider  the  following  question; 
If  the  testimony  of  Jesus  concerning  little  chil- 
dren be  both  true  and  precious,  is  not  the  opinion 
that  little  children  are  totally  depraved,  and  are 
heirs  of  eternal  misery,  false  and  impure  ?  This 
false  doctrine  belongs  to  the  tares,  which  the  ene- 
my sowed  among  the  wheat.  Jesus  never  sowed 
<uch  seed  ;  he  never  uttered  any  thing  so  dishon- 
ourable to  God,  nor  did  he  ever  plant  such  a  thorn 
to  torture  the  sensibility  of  affectionate  parents. 


203 

The  doctrine  of  Jesus  is  the  doctrine  of  love. 
The  doctrines  of  men  are  the  doctrines  of  hatred. 
The  doctrine  of  Jesus  teaches  that  God  loves  his 
enemies,  wills  their  salvation,  and  sent  his  Son  to 
save  them.  The  doctrines  of  men  teach  that  God 
hates  his  enemies  and  will  punish  them  eternally. 
The  doctrine  of  Jesus  informs  us  that  he  came  to 
call  sinners  to  repentance.  The  doctrines  of  men  as- 
sert that  the  finally  impenitent  will  be  made  forev- 
er miserable,  but  Jesus  never  spake  of  the  "  finally 
impenitent."  The  doctrine  of  Jesus  teaches  the  for- 
giveness ofsin.  The  doctrines  of  men  require  a 
sacrifice  to  appease  the  divine  wrath.  The  doc- 
trine of  Jesus  informs  us,  that  he  will  draw  all  men 
unto  himself.  The  doctrines  of  men  assert,  that 
God  has  decreed  but  a  part  to  be  drawn  to  Christ. 
The  doctrine  of  Jesus  informs  us  that  all  things 
are  given  to  him.  The  doctrines  of  men  assert, 
that  but  a  few  are  given  to  Christ.  The  doctrine 
of  Jesus  is  precious  wheat  ;  but  the  doctrines  of 
men  are  tares  which  are  to  be  consumed  by  the 
fire  of  truth  and  love. 

There  are  several  particulars  respecting  the 
preciousness  of  the  doctrine  of  Jesus,  which  are 
worthy  of  special  notice  ;  some  of  which  we  shall 
here  mention. 

First,  This  doctrine  is  from  God.  Jesus  says  ; 
"  My  doctrine  is  not  mine,  but  his  that  sent  me.'* 
The  Creator,  Ruler  and  Disposer  of  all  things  has 
sent  us  a  communication  of  his  divine  will  and  fixed 
purpose  concerning  us.  This  doctrine  being  from 
the  highest  authority  in  the  universe  must  be  con- 
sidered precious. 

Secondly,  In  all  respects,  this  doctrine  is  most 
favourable  to  mankind.  There  is  no  particular 
part  that  can  be  altered  for  the  better.  Let  the 
most  wise  and  prudent  undertake  to  add  any  thing 
to  this  doctrine  and  they  make  it  worse.  Let  them 
take  any  thing  from  it  and  they  leave  it  not  so  good. 


204 

Thirdly,  It  is  most  precious  on  account  of  its 
simplicity  and  conspicuity.  It  is  rendered  so  visi- 
ble in  the  divine  testimony,  that  any  attempt  to 
explain  it  tends  to  render  it  obscure.  If  one 
should  attempt  to  show  us  the  sun  in  a  clear  day 
by  holding  a  candle  before  our  eyes,  it  would  ob- 
scure our  vision,  and  tend  to  hide  from  our  sight 
what  is  already  as  visible  as  it  can  be.  Such  are  the 
effects  of  the  wisdom  of  this  world  when  employed 
to  show  us  that  light  which  shines  in  the  "  face  of 
Jesus." 

Fourthly,  This  doctrine  of  the  New-Testament 
is  life.  It  is  the  bread  of  God  which  giveth  life 
to  the  world.  St.  Paul  says;  "  God  hath  made  us 
able  ministers  of  the  New-Testament,  not  of  the 
letter,  but  of  the  spirit;  for  the  letter  killeth,  but 
the  spirit  giveth  life."  There  is  no  death  in  the 
doctrine  of  Jesus.  Peter  said  ;  "  thou  hast  the 
the  words  of  eternal  life. " 

Fifthly,  It  is  universal.  It  is  the  same  to  all 
men.  Jesus  has  but  one  doctrine  for  every  crea- 
ture under  heaven ;  and  this  doctrine  is  calculated 
to  gather  together  all  things  in  one,  even  in  Christ. 
There  is  no  particular  view  of  the  doctrine  of 
Jesus,  in  which  it  appears  more  precious,  than  in 
its  universality.  Though  the  sun  be  most  precious 
in  its  light  and  heat  even  to  an  individual,  how  glo- 
rious is  the  thought  that  this  light  and  this  heat  are 
universal.  And  though  these  life-giving  qualities 
are  dispensed  through  every  degree  of  latitude  and 
longitude  round  the  globe,  every  one  has  enough. 
So  it  is  with  that  "  true  light  that  lighteth  every 
man  that  comcth  into  the  world."  If  a  few  astro- 
nomers, who  should  study  the  laws  of  the  heavenly 
bodies,  should  frame  a  creed  embracing  the  most 
essential  particulars  in  the  phenomena  of  the  sun, 
and  then  require  every  one,  learned  and  unlearn- 
ed to  believe  in  their  creed  as  a  condition  by 
which  they  might  obtain  its  light,  they  would  dis- 


205 

cover  as  much  true  philosophy  as  those,  who  stile 
themselves  divines  do  of  divinity,  in  framing 
their  creeds,  and  requiring  our  assent  to  them,  that 
we  may  obtain  the  favour  of  God. 

Sixthly,  This  doctrine  is  most  precious,  because 
it  is  always  the  same.  It  is  now  what  it  was  in  the 
beginning,  it  is  now  what  it  will  be  when  thousands 
of  ages  shall  have  passed  away.  The  same  love, 
the  same  mercy,  the  same  good  will  of  our 
heavenly  Father,  in  which  the  most  enlightened 
now  rejoice,  have,  in  all  ages  of  the  world,  been  in 
full  exercise  towards  mankind  ;  nor  can  they  ever 
relax,  but  will  forever  continue. 

And  Seventhly,  This  precious  doctrine  of  the 
love  of  God  is  calculated  to  transform  every  ra- 
tional being  into  its  own  nature  and  to  render  eve- 
ry man  precious  like  itself.  "  Every  man  that  hath 
this  hope  in  him  purifieth  himself,  even  as  he  is 

pure. Now  are  we  the  sons  of  God ;  and  it  doth 

not  yet  appear  what  we  shall  be,  but  we  know, 
that  when  he  appeareth  we  shall  be  like  him,  for 
we  shall  see  him  as  he  is."  In  this  way  the  fruits 
of  the  precious  doctrine  of  the  Saviour  will  final- 
ly produce  the  joyful  harvest  contemplated  in 
our  text,  and  will  load,  with  ripe  sheaves,  the 
blessed  Redeemer  of  the  world,  who  in  sorrow 
went  forth  and  sowed  his  precious  seed. 

When  the  fulness  of  the  different  times,  which 
intervene  between  seed  time  and  harvest,  have  pass- 
ed away,  and  the  hand  of  labour  is  abundantly  re- 
warded with  a  plenteous  harvest,  then  the  hffoband- 
man  realizes  the  end  of  his  toils,  and  comes  from  his 
field,  rejoicing,  bringing  his  sheaves  with  him.  So, 
when  the  fulness  of  times  shall  have  passed  away, 
for  the  perfecting  of  the  work  of  the  gospel  minis- 
try, he  that  sowed  in  tears  shall  reap  in  joy.  All 
shall  know  the  Lord  from  the  least  to  the  greatest ; 
and  the  knowledge  of  God  shall  cover  the  earth  as 
the  waters  cover  the  sea. 


206 

As  the  husbandman,  who  commits  the  precioas 
wheat  to  the  bosom  of  the  earth,  and  waits  for  the 
early  and  the  latter  rains,  receives  to  his  full  satis- 
faction the  plenteous  harvest,  so  we  are  certified 
that  Jesus  shall  see  of  the  travail  of  his  soul  and  be 
satisfied.  O  the  blessed  assurance  !  Shall  Jesus, 
who  sowed  in  tears  reap  as  large  a  harvest  as  will  fill 
his  vast  desires  ?  Yes,  "  for  by  his  knowledge  shall 
my  righteous  servant  justify  many,  for  he  shall  bear 
their  iniquities."  Jesus  "  gave  himself  a  ransom 
for  all  to  be  testified  in  due  time."  He  will  never 
be  satisfied  until  his  "  ransomed  shall  all  return  and 
come  to  Zion  with  songs,  and  everlasting  joy  upon 
their  heads ;  they  shall  obtain  joy  and  gladness,  and 
sorrow  and  sighing  shall  flee  away." 

Every  convert  to  God,  .every  ransomed  soul 
that  returns  and  comes  to  Zion,  brings  a  ripe  sheaf 
of  the  precious  grain  of  love  to  God  and  Jove  to 
man,  which  Jesus  sowed  in  tears.  It  should  be 
distinctly  understood,  that  the  design  of  the  Sa- 
viour in  sowing  the  good  seed  in  the  world,  was 
that  it  might  bring  forth  the  fruit  of  righteousness. 

Here  then  let  us  examine  the  argument  which 
the  doctrine  of  limited  salvation  urges  against  the 
final  happiness  of  all  men.  The  argument  is  this ; 
It  is  not  right  in  the  sight  of  God,  to  bestow  the 
same  felicity  on  the  wicked,  as  he  does  on  the 
righteous.  This  is  our  opposer's  argument,  but 
we  say  it  does  not,  in  the  least,  affect  the  merits  of 
the  subject.  This  objection  only  shows  that  the 
opposgfr  is  totally  ignorant  of  what  he  endeavours 
to  disprove.  The  question  is,  is  it  just  and  right 
in  the  sight  of  God  to  bring  sinners  to  repentance, 
and  convert  the  ungodly  to  holiness  ?  This  is  the 
question,  and  our  opposer  ought  to  understand  it ; 
for  if  he  could  see  that,  in  order  to  disprove  the 
doctrine  for  which  we  contend,  he  must  show  that 
it  is  not  right  to  convert  the  sinner  to  God,  he 
would  cease  to  oppose. 


207 

Jesus  said,  as  has  been  before  noticed,  that  he 
"  came  to  call  sinners  to  repentance^."  St  Paul 
says,  "  This  is  a  faithful  saying,  and  worthy  of  all 
acceptation,  that  Christ  Jesus  came  into  the  world 
to  save  sinners,  of  whom  I  am  chief."  But  let  us 
keep  in  mind,  that  Jesus  saves  his  people  from 
their  sins ;  not  in  their  sins,  as  our  opposers  seem 
to  insinuate  that  we  believe. 

There  are  two  particulars  respecting  the  harvest 
under  consideration,  which  may  be  distinctly  no- 
ticed. 

First,  The  quality  of  the  grain  to  be  gathered 
in.  This  is  righteousness.  "  Such  as  a  man  sows, 
such  shall  he  also  reap."  Jesus  sowed  the  doctrine 
of  love,  of  faith,  of  repentance,  of  hope,  of  charity, 
of  forgiveness,  of  doing  to  others  as  we  would  that 
they  should  do  to  us ;  such  will  he  reap.  Had  he 
sows  the  doctrine  of  eternal  hatred,  final  impeni- 
tance,  endless  enmity,  death  and  condemnation, 
he  would  expect  to  reap  a  harvest  of  the  same 
kind.  Those  who  preach  such  doctrines  now,  ex- 
pect to  see  such  a  harvest,  and  they  very  often 
speak  of  the  tremendous  day,  when  the  ripe 
sheaves  will  be  gathered  in.  But  who  will  come 
rejoicing  bringing  in  such  a  harvest? 

Secondly,  The  extent  of  the  harvest  is  a  subject 
that  claims  our  notice.  Jesus  represented  the  fu- 
ture extent  of  his  doctrine,  by  the  parable  of  the 
mustard-seed,  "which  a  man  took  and  sowed  in 
his  field ;  which  indeed  is  the  least  of  all  seeds  i 
but  when  it  is  grown  it  is  the  greatest  among  herbs, 
and  becomes  a  tree ;  so  that  the  birds  of  the  air 
come  and  lodge  in  the  branches  thereof."  Also 
by  the  parable  of  the  leaven,  "  which  a  woman 
look  and  hid  in  three  measures  of  meal,  till  the 
whole  was  leavened."  There  is  a  beautiful  indi- 
cation of  the  same  in  the  72d  Psalm,  as  follows ; 
"  There  shall  be  an  handfull  of  corn  in  the  earth 
upon  the  top  of  the  mountains;  the  fruit  thereof 


208 

shall  shake  like  Lebanon  ;  and  they  of  the  city 
shall  flourish  like  grass  of  the  earth."  Isaiah  says, 
"  Thy  people  shall  be  all  righteous.'*  And  speak- 
ing of  the  Prince  of  peace,  he  says ;  "  Of  the  in- 
crease of  his  government  and  peace  there  shall  be 
no  end."  David  says,  "All  kings  shall  fall  down  be- 
fore him;  all  nations  shall  serve  him-All  the  ends  of 
the  world  shall  remember,  and  turn  unto  the  Lord; 
and  all  the  kindreds  of  the  nations  shall  worship 
before  thee.  For  the  kingdom  is  the  Lord's  ;  and 
he  is  the  governor  among  the  nations."  This  ex- 
tensive harvest  was  seen  by  St.  John,  on  the  isle  of 
Patnaos,  as  he  thus  discribes  ;  "  I  beheld,  and  lo,  a 
great  multitude,  which  no  man  could  number,  of 
all  nations,  and  kindreds,  and  people,  and  tongues, 
stood  before  the  throne,  and  before  the  Lamb, 
clothed  with  white  robes,  and  palms  in  their  hands; 
and  cried  with  a  loud  .voice,  saying,  Salvation  to 
our  God,  which  sitteth  upon  the  throne,  and  unto 
the  lamb."  This  is  the  rejoicing  of  the  extensive 
harvest.  And  though  this  vast  multitude  of  all  na- 
tions, &c.  were  seen  together,  there  were  "  white 
robes"  enough  for  them  all. 

My  hearers — You  were  all  seen  in  this  vision  ; 
the  robe  of  righteousness  is  ready  for  you.  The 
time  will  come  when  every  knee  shall  bow,  and 
every  tongue  confess,  that  Jesus  is  Lord  to  the 
glory  of  God  the  Father. 

Though  the  mustard-seed  was  despised  when  the 
Saviour  planted  it,  and  though  it  lie  a  long  time  in 
the  earth,  its  glory  will  unfold  and  its  increase 
shall  satisfy  the  capacious  desires  of  him  who  came 
to  call  sinners  to  repentance. 

Dr.  Watts  says  ; 

"  Though  seed  lie  buried  long  in  dust, 
It  shan't  deceive  their  hope  ! 
The  precious  graia  can  ne'er  be  lost, 
For  grace  insures  the  crop." 


•      No.  14. 

LECTURE  SERMON, 

DELIVERED  AT  THE 

SECOND  UNIVERSALIST  MEETING,  IN  BOSTON, 
JANUARY  17,  1819. 


BY  HOSEA  BALLOU,  PASTOR. 

P  ublished  Semi-Monthly  by  Henry  Bowen,  Devonshire-street. 

MARK  ix.  43,  44. 

^  4/2n<£  if  thy  hand  offend  thee,  cut  it  off  ;  it  it  better  for  thee  to  enter  into 
life  maimed,  than  having  two  hands  to  go  into  hell,  into  the  firt  that 
never  thall  be  quenched  ; — Where  their  worm  dieth  not,  and  the  fire  vs 
not  quenched. 

SOME  of  the  motives  winch  have  inclined  the 
speaker  to"  call  the  attention  of  this  audience  to 
the  consideration  of  thig  portion  of  divine  truth  are 
the  following: 

1.  There  is,  perhaps,  no  passage  in  the  scrip'tures, 
that  has  been  more  commonly   used  to  lead  the 
minds  of  people  to  believe  in  the  doctrine  of  end- 
less misery,  and  to  be  exercised  with  the  fear  of 
such  a  state,  than  this.    And  as  one  of  the  objects 
of  these  lectures  is  to  disprove  such  a  doctrine,  and 
to  show  that  the  passages,  which  are  usually  quot- 
ed in  its  support,  are  misapplied,  it  seems  proper 
to  notice  this  passage  in  a  way  to  show  the  error 
of  its  common  use.     And, 

2.  That  the  opportunity  maybe  embraced  to 
enforce  the  argument  of  the  text  to  induce  the 
mind  to  submit  to  any  privations,  which  are  neces- 
sary to  the  discharge  of  that  Christian  obedience, 
by  which  we  enter  into  the  spiritual  life  of  the  spirit 
of  truth. 

27 


210 

We  may,  in  the  first  place,  institute  an  inquiry, 
directed  to  satisfy  the  mind  respecting  the  usual 
application  of  this  scripture  to  a  future  state  of 
endless  misery. 

In  giving  to  this  inquiry  such  a  form  as  raa\ 
tend  to  facilitate  a  judicious  conclusion,  the  fol- 
lowing things  are  premised ; 

1.  The  testimony,  by   which  any  fact  is  to  be 
proved,  should  be  of  one,  who  knows  the  thing  to 
be  a  reality,  to  which  he  bears  such  testimony. 

2.  In  a  case  where  testimony  is  all  the  evidence 
that  can  be  had,  this  testimony  should  be  of  such  a 
character  as  to  admit  of  no  reasonable  doubt  re^ 
specting  its  true  application. 

3.  It  is  indispensable,  that  testimony,  by  which 
the  belief  of  any  proposition  is  to  be  established 
should  be  entirely  free  from  any  contradiction?. 
And, 

4.  It  is  moreover  proper  to  observe,  that  in  pro- 
portion to  the   greatness  of  the  subject,  on  which 
we  are  called  to  form  a  judgment,  what  has  been 
premised  enforces  its  claims  on  the  mind. 

As  to  the  magnitude  of  the  subject,  which  is  now 
called  in  question,  nothing  exceeds  it.  The  doc- 
trine which  asserts,  that  mankind  is  to  suffer  un- 
speakable torments  to  all  future  eternity  is  a  sub- 
ject, that  justly  requires  as  direct  and  clear  evidence 
as  any  nameable  case  whatever. 

With  the  foregoing  considerations  impressed  on 
our  minds,  let  us  examine  the  words  of  our  text 
with  a  design  to  ascertain  the  truth  concerning  this 

~  ^j 

vast  question.  "And  if  thy  hand  oft'end  thee,  cut 
it  off;  it  is  better  for  thee  to  enter  into  life  maim- 
ed, than  having  two  hands,  to  be  cast  into  hell,  into 
the  fire  that  never  shall  be  quenched  ;  where  their 
worm  dieth  not,  and  the  fire  is  not  quenched." — 
This  is  the  testimony  on  which  the  doctrine  of  eter- 
nal, never-ending  misery  is  founded.  The  hearer 


211 

is  most  earnestly  requested  to  lay  aside  all  prepos- 
sessions on  this  subject,  and  investigate  it  with  as 
much  caution  as  the  interest  which  we  all  have  in 
the  subject  demands. 

I.  Let  us  ask,  is  there  in  this  passage  any  thing 
that  goes  to  prove  that  its  author  was  speaking  of 
what  is  to  take  place  in  a  future  state  of  being  ? 
Most  certainly,  irithout  a  doubt,  replies  the  be- 
liever in  endless  punishment,  for  Jesus  here  speaks  of 
being  cast  into  hell ;  and  surely  hell  is  not  in  this 
world.  My  dear  friend,  I  humbly  asked  you  to 
lay  aside  all  prepossessions  on  this  subject ;  but  in 
room  of  this,  your  answer  is  the  production  of  pre- 
judice. Did  this  faithful  and  true  witness  ever  say 
that  hell  is  not  in  this  world?  Is  it  asserted  in  our 
text,  that  this  hell  is  in  a  future  state  of  existence  ? 
Both  these  questions  must  be  answered  in  the  ne- 
gative. Will  our  opposer  say,  that  the  whole  tes- 
timony of  scripture  must  be  admitted  in  this  case, 
and  that  we  must  learn  where  hell  is,  and  what  it  is, 
by  the  united  testimony  of  inspired  writers?  To 
this  we  agree  at  once.  The  prophet  David  says  ; 
"  (ireat  is  thy  mercy  toward  me  ;  and  thou  hast 
delivered  my  soul  from  the  lowest  hell."  Again 
he  says ;  "  The  sorrows  of  death  compassed  me, 
and  the  pains  of  hell  gat  hold  upon  me  ;  I  found 
trouble  and  sorrow."  Jonah  says;  "  I  cried  by 
reason  of  mine  affliction  unto  the  Lord,  and  he 
heard  me ;  out  of  the  belly  of  hell  cried  I,  and  thou 
heardest  my  voice."  Now  as  certain  as  David  and 
Jonah  were  in  this  world,  when  they  thus  spake, 
so  certain  it  is,  that  in  the  days  of  these  prophets, 
hell  was  in  this  world.  Why  might  it  not  Ije  in 
this  world  in  the  days  our  Saviour  was  on  the 
earth? 

It  appears  evident,  from  the  passages  just  quot- 
ed, that  a  state  of  extreme  trouble  and  affliction  is, 
in  the  language  of  scripture,  called  hell.  There- 


212 

fore,  in  order  to  justify  the  application  of  this  word 
to  a  state  of  punishment  in  a  future  world,  there 
must  be  a  declaration  directly  to  that  effect ;  but 
there  is  no  part  of  the  text  under  consideration 
that  can  in  any  way  answer  such  a  purpose. 

2.  "Will  it  be  contended,  that  as  the  Saviour 
said  ;  "  Where  their  worm  dieth  not,  and  the  fire  is 
not  quenched,"  he  must  necessarily  mean  to  speak 
of  a  future  endless  torment  ?  To  this  vye  reply  ;  as 
it  has  already  been  agreed,  that  the  scriptures  must 
be  taken  in  their  connection,  and  their  united  tes- 
timony admitted  in  this  inquiry,  it  seems  most  pro- 
per to  connect  these  words  of  our  Saviour  with  a 
similar  passage  in  the  66th  of  Isaiah,  which  reads 
thus ;  "  For  as  the  new  heavens,  and  the  new  earth, 
which  I  have  made,  shall  remain  before  me,  saith 
the  Lord,  so  shall  your  seed  and  your  name  remain. 
And  it  shall  come  to  pass,  that  from  one  new  moon 
to  another,  and  from  one  sabbath  to  another,  shall 
all  flesh  come  to  worship  before  me,  saith  the  Lord. 
And  they  shall  go  forth,  and  look  upon  the  carcas- 
ses of  the  men  that  have  transgressed  against  me  : 
for  their  worm  shall  not  die,  neither  shall  their  fire 
be  quenched ;  and  they  shall  be  an  abhorring  unto 
all  flesh." 

By  this  passage  the  case  is  perfectly  clear  that 
the  worm,  and  the  fire  that  is  not  quenched  are  in 
this  state  of  existence,  where  times  of  worship  are 
measured  by  new  moons  and  by  sabbaths.  And 
there  can  be  no  doubt  but  the  Saviour,  in  our  text 
had  his  eye  on  this  passage  in  Isaiah,  and  spake  of 
the  same  subject. 

We  will  now  allow  the  objector  liberty  to  say, 
that  it  is  evident  that  the  passage  in  Isaiah  alludes 
to  the  time  of  the  new  heavens,  and  the  new  earth, 
which  must  refer  to  a  future  state. 

We  reply  to  the  objector,  in  this  case,  and  say; 
"  Ye  greatly  err,  not  knowing  the  scriptures,"  for 


213 

the  prophet  in  his  65th  chapter  speaks  as  follows ; 
"Behold  I  create  new  heavens,  and  a  new  earth ;  and 
the  former  shall  not  be  remembered,  nor  come  into 
mind.  But  be  ye  glad  and  rejoice  forever  in  that 
which  I  create  ;  for,  behold,  I  create  Jerusalem  a 
rejoicing,  and  her  people  a  joy — And  they  shall 
build  houses,  and  inhabit  them  ;  and  they  shall 
plant  vine-yards,  and  eat  the  fruit  of  them."  Will 
houses  be  built,  and  vine-yards  be  planted  in  a  fu- 
ture world  ?  No ;  all  these  scriptures  evidently 
regard  things  which  belong  to  our  present  state  of 
mortal  existence. 

By  a  careful  comparison  of  the  passages  to  which 
we  have  referred,  and  by  taking  into  the  connec- 
tion one  in  St.  Peter,  and  another  in  Revelations, 
on  the  subject  of  the  new  heavens,  and  new  earth, 
and  on  the  new  Jerusalem,  it  appears  clear  that 
those  scriptures  were  designed  to  represent  the 
gospel  dispensation.  St.  Paul,  in  his  epistle  to  the 
Hebrews,  who  understood  the  language  of  Isaiah, 
says  to  the  believers  in  Jesus ;  "  Ye  are  come  unto 
mount  Zion,  and  unto  tlte  city  of  the  living  God, 
the  heavenly  Jerusalem."  He  does  not  say,  that 
they  will  get  to  this  heavenly  Jerusalem  in  a  future 
world,  but  he  tells  them,  that  they  have  already 
come  to  it. 

But  what  does  Isaiah  mean  by  saying ;  "  They 
shall  go  forth,  and  look  upon  the  carcasses  of  the 
men  that  have  transgressed  against  me  ;  for  their 
worm  shall  not  die,  neither  shall  their  fire  be 
quenched;  and  they  shall  be  an  abhorring  unto  all 
flesh?" 

Reply — By  all  flesh,  no  doubt,  the  prophet 
meant  the  Gentiles  of  different  nations  who  should 
come  into  the  gospel  church  and  covenant ;  and  by 
the  men  that  transgressed  against  the  Lord,  he 
meant  the  Jews  who  rejected  their  Messiah.  These 
Jews  are  represented  as  tormented  with  a  gnawing 


214 

worm  and  a  perpetual  fire,  arid  to  be  an  abhorring 
to  the  Christian  church  of  Gentiles. 

These  remarks  seem  to  bring  us  directly  to  the 
meaning  of  our  text.  "  It  is  better  for  Ihee  to  en- 
ter into  life  maimed,  than  having  two  hands,  to  be 
oast  into  hell, into  the  fire  that  never  shall  be  quench- 
ed; where  their  worm  dieth  not,  and  the  fire  is, not 
quenched/'  That  is,  than  to  be  cast  jnto  the  state 
of  condemnation  and  outer  darkness,  where  there 
shall  be  weeping  and  gnashing  of  teeth,  into  which 
the  Jews  who  reject  the  gospel  will  be  cast. 

Will  it  now  be  asked,  what  will  become  of  those 
Israelites  who  rejected  the  Messiah  and  have  b«en 
cast  into  this  state  of  condemnation  ?  Let  St.  Paul 
give -the  answer ;  "Blindness  in  part  is  happened 
to  Israel  until  the  fulness  of  the  gentiles  be  come 
in,  and  so  all  Israel  shall  be  saved." 

As  it  has  been  premised  that  the  testimony  by 
whieh  a  belief  in  a  proposition  is  to  be  established, 
must  be  free  from  contradiction,  before  we  can  al- 
low that  the  doctrine  of  endless  misery  is  proved 
by  the  scriptures,  they  must  be  found  entirely  free 
from  any  declarations  to  the  contrary. 

St.  Paul  informs  us,  that  God  "  will  have  all  men 
to  be  saved,"  and  that  Jesus  gave  himself  a  ran- 
som for  all'5  men.  Now  if  God's  will  and  the 
Saviour's  ransom  finally  fail  of  their  object,  what 
can  we  prove  from  the  scriptures?  If  those  whom 
God  wills  to  save,  and  whom  the  Saviour  ransomed 
are  to  be  miserable  eternally,  who  are  to  be  saved  ? 

The  fact  is,  there  is  no  such  testimony  in  the 
.-jcripturcs,  which  can,  witf;  the  least  degree  of  fair- 
ness be  applied  to  a  state  of  never  ending  misery ; 
and  in  fact  if  there  were  any  such  testimony  in  the 
scriptures,  yet  it  could  not  prove  the  proposition, 
$<>>long  as  there  remain  so  many  positive  declara- 
Vk»us  against  it. 


Moreover,  we  feel  it  to  be  a  duty  to  state,  that 
in  room  of  straining  particular  passages,  which 
speak  of  the  punishment  of  the  wicked,  so  as  to 
favour  the  idea  of  unlimited  punishment,  we  should 
feel  justified  in  restraining  any  passage,  could  such 
be  found,  that  should  seem  to  favour  an  opinion  so 
dishonourable  to  God,  and  so  revolting  to  our  best 
feelings. 

It  surely  should  not  require  so  much  direct  tes- 
timony from  the  scripture  to  prove  that-God  will 
have  mercy  on  all  men,  as  to  prove  that  he  will 
not ;  for  it'  we  judge  the  divine  Being  by  his  con- 
duct to  men  in  this  life,  the  evidence  of  his  univer- 
sal goodness  is  perfectly  ample.  And  David  says 
"  the  Lord  is  good  to  all,  and  his  tender  mercies 
,are  over  all  his  works." 

If  what  the  scriptures  assert  on  this  subject  be 
true,  and  if  we  may  credit  the  testimony  of  divine 
providence  we  must  conclude,  that  the  doctrine 
that  teaches  unmerciful,  never  ending  punishment 
is  a  direct  impeachment  of  the  divine  Being;  and 
is  the  greatest  specimen  of  ingratitude  that  is  to 
be  found  in  all  the  world. 

This  ungrateful  doctrine  is  now  held  up  to  be 
the  guardian  of  morality !  In  order  to  be  moral 
we  must  solemnly  and  heartily  accuse  the  kind 
Father  of  our  spirits,  who  loves  sinners  and  sent 
his  Son  to  be  the  propitiation  for  the  sins  of  the 
whole  world,  of  having  predestinated  millions  of 
human  beings  to  a  state  of  endless  woe,  before  the 
creation  of  the  world  !  If  religion  and  morality 
begin  with  such  ingratitude,  what  will  be  their  pro- 
gress ?  and  what  will  be  their  end  ? 

There  is  one  more  argument  M  hich  the  oprjpser 
may  think  ought  to  be  noticed,  whicla  is  the  follow- 
ing ;  As  Jesus  says,  in  our  text ;  "  it  is  better  for 
thee  to  enter  into  life  maimed,  than  having  two 


216 

hands,  to  be  cast  into  hell  &c.  ;  as  entering  into 
iife  means  entering;  into  a  state  of  eternal  felicity, 
hereafter,  so  being;  cast  into  hell,  being  the  opposite 
of  entering  into  life,  seems  to  favor  the  opinion 
that  this  hell  is  in  the  future,  eternal  world. 

In  replying;  to  this  argument,  we  shall  bring  the 
principal  design  of  the  text  before  the  hearer,  and 
introduce  the  argument  of  the  Saviour  for  the  pur- 
pose for  which  he  used  it. 

And  bore  the  hearer  is  called  on  to  observe  that 
(he  objection  to  which  we  are  now  about  to  reply 
is,  in  fact,  founded  on  a  mistake.  By  entering  into 
life,  we  have  no  evidence  to  believe,  that  the  Sa- 
viour had  any  allusion  to  entering  into  a  state  of 
complete  happiness,  in  the  eternal,  immortal  state  ; 
but  we  have  evidence  to  the  contrary  of  this,  even 
in  the  text  itself.  Observe  the  words;  "it  is  bet- 
ter for  thee  to  enter  into  life  maimed,"  &c.  He 
surely  did  not  mean,  that  men  were  to  enter  into 
a  state  of  immortality  in  the'eternal  world  maimed. 

John  Baptist,  says  ;  "he  that  believeth  on  the  Son 
hath  everlasting  life."  St.  John  says, "  we  know  that 
we  have  passed  from  death  unto  life,  because  we 
love  the  brethren."  St.  Paul  says,  "  there  is,  there- 
fore, now  no  condemnation  to  them  which  are  in 
Christ  Jesus,  who  walk  not  after  the  flesh,  but  after 
the  spirit.  For  the  laws  of  the  spirit  of  life  in 
Christ  Jesus  hath  made  me  free  from  the  law  of  sin 
and  death."  To  the  Ephesians  he  says ;  "  But 
God,  who  is  rich  in  mercy,  for  his  great  love 
.wherewith  he  loved  us,  even  when  we  were  dead 
in  sin,  hath  quickened  us  together  with  Christ." 
This  is  that  life  into  which  those  who  believe  and 
«pbey  the  gospel  enter  maimed. 

But  the  immortal  state  is  represented  glorious 
and  complete. 

We  shall  now  solicit  the  attention  of  the  audi- 
ence to  the  consideration  of  what  is  meant  by  being 


217 

maimed,  in  our  text,  and  to  an  illustration  of  the 
proper  object  of  the  Saviour's  argument.  Ob- 
serve the  introduction  of  our  subject.  "And  who- 
soever shall  offend  one  of  these  little  ones  that 
believe  in  me,  it  is  belter  for  him  that  a  millstone 
were  hanged  about  his  neck,  and  he  were  cast  into 
the  sea.  And  if  thy  hand  offend  thee  cut  it  off; 
for  it  is  better  for  thee  to  enter  into  life  maim- 
ed," &c. 

The  evident  meaning  of  the  Saviour  seems  to  be 
this;  if  one  of  your  nearest  connections  in  the 
world,  even  if  one  as  dear  to  you  as  a  hand,  should 
oppose  your  yielding  obedience  to  the  gospel,  part 
with  this  dear  connection  rather  than  part  with  di- 
vine truth.  And  though  you  thereby  feel  as  one 
who  has  lost  a  hand,  yet  what  you  gain  is  more 
than  what  you  lose.  In  this  connection,  Jesus 
mentions  the  cutting  off  of  a  foot,  and  the  pluck- 
ing out  of  an  eye  for  the  same  cause  as  the  cuting 
off  of  the  hand;  and  it  is  very  evident  that  this 
recommendation  was  given  on  account  of  the  op- 
position that  was  constantly  in  exercise  against  the 
cause  of  truth,  and  which  he  knew  would  increase 
unto  grevious  persecution. 

Jesus  said ;  "  Think  not  that  I  am  come  to  send 
peace  on  earth  ;  I  came  not  to  send  peace,  but  a 
sword.  For  I  am  come  to  set  a  man  at  variance 
against  his  father,  and  the  daughter  against  her 
mother,  and  the  daughter-in-law  against  her  moth- 
er-in-law. And  a  man's  foes  shall  be  they  of  his 
own  household.  He  that  loveth  father  or  mother 
more  than  me  is  not  worthy  of  me ;  and  he  that 
loveth  son  or  daughter  more  than  me  is  not  worthy 
of  me.  And  he  that  taketh  not  his  cross  and  fol- 
loweth  after  me  is  not  worthy  of  me.  He  that 
findeth  his  life  shall  lose  it ;  and  he  that  loseth  his 
life  for  my  sake  shall  find  it." 
28 


218 

It  was  hard  indeed  for  Ibe  disciples  of  Jesus  to 
part  with  such  tender  connections,  and  they,  no 
doubt,  felt,  in  some  respect,  as  people  do,  who 
have  lost  a  hand,  a  foot,  or  an  eye  ;  but  then  on 
the  other  hand,  they  had  Jesus  who  is  worth  more 
than  all  they  lost. 

St.  Paul  was  called,  to  enter  into  life  at  the  ex- 
pense of  all  that  he  held  dear,  of  a  worldy  nature. 
Brought  up  at  the  feet  of  Gamaliel,  educated  a 
Pharasee,  in  high  esteem  among  his  people-,  and  in 
the  confidence  of  the  high  Priest  of  his  nation ;  in 
his  youth  when  his  prospects  were  exceedingly  flat- 
tering, and  at  a  moment  when  he  was  engaged  in 
rendering  all  possible  service  to  the  interest  of  those 
authorities,  which  were  hostile  to  the  cause  and 
disciples  of  Christ,  he  is  called  to  embrace  the  Sa- 
viour, and  to  part  with  all  his  connections  and 
friends  on  earth.  He  entered  into  life  maimed. 
He  felt  like  one  who  has  lost  a  hand,  a  foot,  and  an 
eye,  but  thereby  saved  his  life.  How  often  would 
such  a  person  think  of  the  members  gone.  How 
often  would  he  say,  O  that  my  hand,  my  foot,  and 
my  eye  could  again  be  restored.  So  it  was  with 
St.  Paul.  He  says  ;  "  I  say  the  truth  in  Christ,  I 
lie  not,  my  conscience  also  bearing  me  witness  in 
the  Holy  Ghost,  that  I  have  great  heaviness  and 
continual  s-orrow  in  my  heart.  For  I  could  wish 
that  myself  were  accused  from  Christ  for  my 
brethren,  my  kinsmen  according  to  the  flesh." 
And  again,  he  says  ;  "  Brethren,  my  heart's  desire 
and  prayer  to  God  for  Israel  is,  that  they  might  be 
saved."  But  there  he  saw  them,  devoted  to  the 
worm  and  fire,  discribed  by  the  prophet  Isaiah. — 
They  were  the  Apostle's  «'  kinsmen  according  to 
the  flesh."  They  were  to  him  like  lost  members 
of  his  body,  for  whom  he  exercised  great  and  con- 
tinual concern. 


219 

Will  the  advocate  for  endless  punishment  say, 
that  St.  Paul's  concern  for  his  brethren  was  be- 
cause he  believed  they  would  never  obtain  mercy? 
Will  any  pretend  that  Paul  was  heavy-hearted,  be- 
cause he  believed  as  many  do  now,  that  they  were 
consigned  over  to  endless  woe  ? 

Such  a  supposition  is  in  direct  opposition  to  the 
clear  and  luminous  arguments  which  this1  Apostle 
has  left  recorded  in  his  epistles,  particularly  in  the 
1 1th  of  Romans,  where  he  fully  explains  the  occa- 
sion of  the  blindness  of  the  Jews,  and  largely  vin- 
dicates their  final  readmission  to  favour.  Speak- 
ing to  the  Gentile  believers,  he  says ;  "  For  as  ye 
in  times  past  have  not  believed  God,  but  have  now 
obtained  mercy  through  their  unbelief, ewen  so  have 
these  now  not  believed  that  through  your  mercy, 
they  also  may  obtain  mercy."  And  as  has  been 
before  noticed,  he  says ;  "  All  Israel  shall  be 
saved." 

It  surely  would  be  very  contrary  to  the  prospects 
of  the  Christian  hope,  to  suppose  that  St.  Paul,  or 
any  other  Saint  would  spend  an  eternity  in  the 
maimed  condition  that  he  was  in,  in  consequence 
of  leaving  his  brethren  in  darkness  and  unbelief. 

Many  professed  Christians  in  our  times,  and  in- 
deed many  professed  preachers  of  the  gospel,  feel 
or  affect  to  feel  great  concern  for  fear  the  souls  of 
their  fellow  creatures  will  be  finally  sentenced  to 
everlasting  tortures  in  the  eternal  world.  This  is 
a  maimedness,  which  St.  Paul  has  informed  us 
nothing  of.  But  those  who  now  believe  the  truth 
as  it  is  in  J&sus  and  yield  obedience  to  its  require- 
ments enter  into  life  maimed.  They  are  called  to 
part  with  dear  connections,  which  are  near  to  them 
as  the  members  of  their  bodies. 

The  false  religion  of  anti-christ,  like  the  doctrines 
of  the  Pharisees  and  the  Sadducees  of  old,  has  so 
established  itself  by  the  power  of  tradition,  is 


220 

guarded  and  supported  by  so  many  means,  which 
in  the  eyes  of  the  world  are  honourable,  that  to 
call  it  in  question,  to  presume  to  bring  it  into  the 
light  for  examination  excites  great  alarm  among 
its  friends.     One  who  has  been  brought  up  and  ed- 
ucated according  to  the  orthodox  creed,  joined  a 
church,  and  formed  an  extensive  connection  in  re- 
ligious society,  has  kind  and  affectionate  parents, 
brothers  and  sisters,  who  are  respectable  members 
of  the  same  communion,   by  some  means  which 
heaven  has  appointed  is  called  to  reflect  on  some 
of  the  doctrines  of  the  church  by  way  of  query. 
Such  questions  as  the  following  arise  in  the  mind. 
How  is  it  that  a  wise,  kind,  and  merciful  creator 
has  predestinated,  from  eternity,  millions  of  human 
beings  to  endless  and  unspeakable  torments?     In 
his  providence,  he  is  universally  kind,  he  openeth  his 
hand  and  satisfieth  the  desire  of  every  living  thing  ; 
why  should  he  not  be  as  universally  kind  in  the 
economy  of  his  spiritual  grace?     We  read  in  the 
scriptures,  that "  God  commended  this  love  toward 
us,  in  that  while  we  were  yet  sinners,  Christ  died 
for  us."     We  furthermore  read  that  Jesus  Christ 
the  righteous  is  the  propitiation  for  the  sins  of  the 
whole  world.     Why  should  the  scriptures  speak  in 
such  terms  if  a  few  only  of  the  human  family  are 
subjects   of  the  divine    favour?     These  thoughts 
and  many  others  revolve  in  the  mind  of  the  sup- 
posed individual.     The  person  thus  exercised  feels 
a  strong  desire  to  speak  with  some  one  on  the  sub- 
ject ;  but  fears  arise  that  it  may  give  offence  !  The 
'matter  is  suffered  to  rest  for  the  present ;  the  per- 
son goes  to  the  house  of  worship  with  a  determina- 
tion to  learn  something,  if  possible,  that  may  as- 
sist in  solving  these  queries.     The  minister  prays; 
and  in  his  prayer  he  fervently  entreats  the  Father 
of  mercies  to  send  forth  the  light  and  power  of  the 
gospel  even  to  the  ends  of  the  earth,  that  all  may 


221 

be  brought  to  a  saving  knowledge  of  God.  This 
prayer  awakens  the  attention  of  our  querist,  who 
now  says;  why  does  my  minister  pray  for  all  the 
>vorld  if  he  has  no  faith  for  the  whole  ?  The  min- 
ister preaches  ;  and  his  sermon  is  designed  to  prove 
the  divine  sovereignty  in  electing  some  to  ever- 
lasting life,  and  predestinating  others  to  endless 
destruction.  This  contradiction  between  the  prayer 
and  the  sermon  tries  the  mind  exceedingly.  The 
person  goes  home,  finally  feels  such  powerful  ex- 
ercises of  mind,  that  a  determination  is  formed  to 
talk  with  others  on  the  subject. 

No  sooner  are  these  queries  made  known  to  the 
dearest  connexions  in  life,  than  surprise  is  manifest- 
ed ;  and  the  person  asked  whether  they  are  dispos- 
ed to  call  in  question  the  mysterious  doctrines  of 
the  gospel,  doubt  the  creed,  and  pretend  to  be  wiser 
than  the  minister  ?  But  all  does  not  satisfy  the 
mind,  into  which  a  few  scattering  beams  of  divine 
light  have  found 'their  way.  Says  the  supposed 
person,  I  will  go  for  once  and  hear  a  preacher  who 
holds  up  Jesus  a  universal  Saviour.  Yes,  this  I 
must  do,  and  if  I  am  despised  for  it  I  must  bear  it.  It 
is  accordingly  so  done,  and  God  blesses  the  word  to 
the  satisfaction  of  the  heavy  ladened  soul,  and 
Jesus  now  appears  Lord  of  all,  Lord  of  the  dead 
and  the  living ;  and  the,  enraptured  soul  says,  I 
have  seen  and  must  testify  that  the  Father  sent  the 
Son  to  be  the  Saviour  of  the  world.  With  the 
heart  the  person  believes  unto  righteousness,  and 
with  the  mouth  confession  is  made  unto  salvation. 
What  is  next  ?  The  Church  disowns  this  member 
and  casts  it  out  ;  family  connections  grow  cold 
and  alienated  in  their  affections,  and  this  lonely 
individual  enters  into  life  maimed. 

What  a  loss  is  here  !  Perhaps  father,  mother, 
brothers,  sisters  are  parted  with.  Yea,  perhaps  a 
husband  or  a  wife,  as  the  case  may  be. 


Joys  arise  on  the  one  hand,  peace  is  found  io- 
believing,  and  a  free  universal  gospel  is  life  to  the 
soul.  On  the  other  hand  heaviness  of  heart,  that 
those  dear  connections,  which  are  left  in  gloomy 
darkness,  and  are  exercised  with  the  awful  terrors 
of  everlasting  misery,  cannot  now  see  and  rejoice 
in  this  heavenly,  glorious  truth,  that  "  God  is  the 
Saviour  of  all  men." 

But,  my  brethren  and  sisters,  though  many  of 
you  have  entered  into  life  maimed ;  though  you 
have  left  fathers,  mothers,  companions,  brethren 
and  sisters,  sons  and  daughters,  you  are  satisfied 
that  it  is  better  to  enter  into  life  thus  maimed, 
than  to  be  cast  into  that  ceaseless  fire  of  erroneous 
creeds,  and  to  be  gnawed  with  that  restless  worm 
of  continual  fear. 

There  is  likewise  one  consolation  that  more 
than  repays  all  the  losses  you  sustain  ;  your  faith 
and  hope  enter  within  the  vail  where  Jesus  enter- 
ed, in  whom  dwells  all  the  fulness  of  the  Godhead 
bodily  ;  '« and  ye  are  complete  in  him."  When 
you  contemplate  the  fulness  of  him  who  filleth  all 
tilings,  you  perceive  that  God  has  purposed  to 
"gather  together  in  one  all  things  in  Christ."  You 
"  know  that  the  head  of  every  man  is  Christ,"  arid 
that  not  a  bone  of  him  shall  be  broken.  You, 
therefore  anticipate  the  time,  when  you  shall  enter 
into  immortality  and  eternal  life,  not  maimed,  but 
being  complete  in  Christ  the  head  of  every  man, 
all  those  dear  connections  who  oppose  you  here, 
will  join  you  there.  Those  who  could  not  com- 
mune with  you  here,  will  have  no  partial  creeds 
there.  All  will  be  illuminated  with  the  radiant 
sun  of  righteousness,  tears  will  there  be  wiped 
from  ofi'all  faces,  and  there  shall  be  no  more  death, 
neither  sorrow  nor  crying,  neither  shall  there  be 
any  more  pain.  But  he  that  sitteth  upon  the 
throne  shall  make  all  things  new,  according  to  the 


223 

pattern  shewn  unto  the  disciples,  in  the  mount 
where  Jesus  was  transfigured. 

That  the  hearer  may  have  a  clear  and  distinct 
understanding  of  the  general  subject  to  which  we 
have  attended,  a  comparison  should  be  carefully 
made  between  the  state  of  the  disciples  of  Jesus, 
in  this  present  world,  where,  though  spiritual  life, 
and  the  fruits  of  the  spirit,  which  are  love,  joy, 
peace,  long  suffering,  gentleness,  goodness,  and 
faith,  are  enjoyed,  yet  there  are  many  sufferings; 
such  as  persecutions  for  the  sake  of  the  word,  sor- 
rows of  heart  for  those  who  oppose  the  truth,  and 
all  the  roaimedness  signified  in  our  text  and  of 
which  mention  has  been  made,  with  that  perfect, 
glorious,  and  immortal  state,  of  which  Jesus  spake 
when  treating  on  the  subject  of  the  resurrection, 
and  of  which  St.  Paul,  speaks  in  his  1st  epistle  to 
the  Corrinthians. 

The  opposer  will  now  say,  if  you  are  right,  why 
is  it  not  just  as  well  for  us  to  remain  ignorant  of 
these  truths  as  to  know  them  ?  What  difference 
can  it  make  ?' 

In  reply  we  will  ask  the  following  questions. — 
Suppose  some  deceived  person  should  be  led  to  be- 
lieve, that  the  coming  spring  will  be  so  widely  dif- 
ferent from  the  vernal  seasons  which  are  past,  that 
in  room  of  a  warmer  sun  than  winter  affords,  and  in 
room  of  the  usual  zephyrs  and  flowers  of  May,  the 
sun  will  run  still  lower  than  in  winter,  and  the 
winds  be  more  chilling,  the  frost  more  intense,  and 
not  a  flower  will  be  seen,  nor  a  birtl  heard  to  sing  ; 
further,  suppose  this  gloomy  soul  should  persuade 
thousands  to  believe  his  errors,  and  should  spread 
a  gloorn  over  half  the  inhabitants  of  our  country, 
how  would  those,  who  remained  confident  in  the 
goodness  and  faithfulness  of  God,  feel  for  their  de- 
ceived friends?  Would  they  not  endeavour  te 


224 

persuade  them  away  from  their  fears?  And  would 
it  be  just  as  well  for  those  who  should  be  thus  de- 
ceived, to  remain  in  their  error,  as  to  live  by  faith, 
and  rejoice  in  hope  of  the  glory  of  God,  which  is 
hastening  on  as  fast  as  time  moves  ? 

Would  it  not  be  very  proper  to  say  to  the  peo- 
ple, who  in  consequence  of  this  gloomy  unbelief, 
were  making  no  preparations  to  improve  the  lovely 
season  of  seed  time,  repent  of  your  errors,  see  to 
your  concerns,  be  ready  with  all  your  means,  for 
the  spring  is  at  hand,  the  days  grow  longer,  it  will 
be  but  a  short  time  before  the  flowers  shall  appear 
and  the  time  of  the  singing  of  birds  will  come  ? 


DELIVERED  AT  THE 

SECOND  UNIVERSALIST  MEETING,  IN  BOSTON, 
FEBRUARY  14,  1819. 


BY  HOSEA  BALLOU,  PASTOR. 

Published  Semi-Monthly  by  Henry  Bowen,  Deronshire-street. 

HEBREWS  ii.  14,  15. 

fi  Forasmuch  then  at  the  children  are  partaker*  of  flesh  and  blood,  he  also 
himself  likewise  took  part  of  the  same  ;  that  through  death  he  might  de- 
stroy him  that  had  the  power  of  death,  that  is,  the  devil ; — And  dtliver 
them  who,  through  fear  of  deatht  were  all  their  lifetime  subject  to  bon- 
dage." 

THE  first  enquiry,  to  which  the  attention  of  the 
hearer  is  invited,  will  be  directed  to  ascertain  some 
particulars  relative  to  the  children  mentioned  in 
our  text. 

We  shall  see,  by  the  context,  that  these  children 
comprehend  the  whole  human  family.  In  refer- 
ence to  a  passage  in  the  8th  Psalms,  the  Apostle 
says ;  "  But  one  in  a  certain  place  testified,  saying, 
What  is  man  that  thou  art  mindful  of  him  ?  or  the 
son  of  man  that  thou  visitest  him  ?  Thou  madest  him 
a  little  lower  than  the  angels  ;  thou  crownedst  him 
with  glory  ajd  honour  and  didst  set  him  over  the 
works  of  thy  hands :  Thou  hast  put  all  things  in 
subjection  under  his  feet.  For  in  that  he  put  all 
in  subjection  under  him,  he  left  nothing  that  is  not 
put  under  him.  But  now  we  see  not  yet  all  things 
put  under  him :  But  we  see  Jesus,  who  was  made 
a  little  lower  than  the  angels  for  the  suffering  of 
29 


226 

death,  crowned  with  glory  and  honour  ;  that  he  by 
the  grace  of  God  should  taste  death  for  every  man.'" 
By  man,  it  is  evident,  the  Apostle  meant  the  whole 
humanity,  as  did  the  prophet  also  in  the  passage 
referred  to  ;  and  by  every  many  he  meant  the  same 
thing  in  a  distributive  view. 

The  Apostle's  argument  evidently  amounts  to 
this  ;  the  glory  and  honour  to  which  man  was  orig- 
inally destined  by  his  Creator,  we  now  see  com- 
plete in  Jesus,  who  tasted  death  for  every  man, 
and  in  him  only. 

Immediately  following  what  we  have  just  quot- 
ed from  our  context,  the  author,  in  giving  the  rea- 
son for  the  sufferings  of  Jesus,  calls  the  whole  hu- 
man nature,  taken  in  the  distributive  sense  before 
noticed,  sons ;  "For  it  became  him,  for  whom  are 
all  things,  and  by  whom  are  all  things,  in  bringing 
many  sons  unto  glory,  to  make  the  captain  of  their 
salvation  perfect  through  sufferings." 

Here  it  is  important  that  we  notice  distinctly, 
that  the  Apostle  designed  to  speak  of  the  divine 
creature  when  he  spake  of  him,  "  for  whom  are 
all  things,  and  by  whom  are  all  things;''  and  when 
he  spake  of  many  sons,  he  meant  the  same  as  he 
did  by  every  man ;  and  when  he  spake  of  bringing 
many  sons  to  glory,  he  meant  the  bringing  of  every 
man  to  the  glory  which  we  see  in  Jesus,  of  which 
he  had  just  spoken. 

Directly  following  our  last  quotation,  the  author 
calls  these  many  sons,  who  are  to  be  brought  unto 
glory,  the  brethren  of  him  who  is  their  sanctifier 
and  says  that  they  are  one  with  hiA ;  "  For  both 
he  that  sanctifieth  and  they  who  are  sanctified  are 
all  of  one  :  for  which  cause  he  is  not  ashamed  to  call 
them  brethren ;  saying,  I  will  declare  thy  name 
unto  my  brethren  j  in  the  midst  of  the  church  will 
I  sing  praise  unto  thee." 


227 

By  him  who  sanctifieth,  the  author  nieans  Jesus, 
who  is  the  captain  of  our  salvation  ;  by  those  who 
are  sanctified,  he  means  every  man  or  the  many 
sons,  of  whom  he  had  just  spoken,  and  by  brethren 
he  means  the  same  thing,  and  furthermore  he  calls 
them  the  church. 

Our  author  introduces  our  glorified  Saviour,  as 
saying ;  "  Behold  I,  and  the  children  which  God 
hath  given  me."  These  children  are  the  same  as 
expressed  by  the  Apostle  in  the  following  words 
which  have  been  quoted ;  "  What  is  man  ?"  mean- 
ing the  whole  human  nature.  "  Every  man,"  mean- 
ing the  same.  "  Many  sons,"  comprehending  the 
same.  "  Brethren"  of  the  great  sanctifier;  "  The 
church."  These  are  the  children  mentioned  in  our 
text,  who  are  partakers  of  flesh  and  blood. 

Having  ascertained  in  the  first  section  of  our  in- 
quiry, that  the  children  mentioned  in  our  text  com- 
prehend the  whole  human  family,  we  may  attempt 

2dly,  To  show  who  is  the  Father  of  these  child- 
ren. This  question  is  settled  at  once  by  the  author 
in  the  context,  in  the  following  words  which  have 
been  noticed  ;  "  For  it  became  him,  for  whom  are 
all  things,  and  by  whom  are  all  things,  in  bringing 
many  sons  unto  glory,  to  make  the  captain  of  their 
salvation  perfect  through  sufferings.''  These  many 
sons,  who  are  brought  unto  glory,  are  the  children 
mentioned  in  our  text,  and  he  for  whom  are  all 
things,  and  by  whom  are  all  things,  is  the  Father  of 
these  children. 

If  it  seem  incorrect  to  the  hearer,  to  call  all  men 
the  children  of  God,  and  if  any  objection  be  made 
to  this  doctrine  on  account  of  the  sinfulness  of 
man's  character,  our  argument  may  be  supported 
by  the  following  considerations. 

St.  Luke  in  tracing  the  genealogy  of  Jesus  car- 
ries it  up  to  the  creation  of  man,  and  says;  "Which 
was  the  son  of  Enos,  which  was  the  son  of  Seth, 


228 

which  was  the  Son  of  Adam,  which  was  the  son  of 
God."  If  it  be  proper  to  call  Adam  the  son  of 
God,  it  seems  also  to  be  proper  to  call  all  the  des- 
cendants of  this  first  man,  the  children  of  God. 

If  the  objection  be  urged  on  account  of  the  sinful 
character  of  man,  we  reply,  that  the  children  do 
not  destroy  this  relation  by  disobedience.  For  as 
the  relation  of  parent  and  child  certainly  exists  be- 
fore the  child  becomes  active  in  obedience,  or  dis«- 
obedience  ;  it  would  be  false  reasoning  to  argue 
that  obedience  could  constitute  this  relation,  or 
that  disobedience  would  disannul  it.  The  Lord 
says,  by  the  prophet  Jeremiah ;  "  Turn,  O  back- 
sliding children,  saith  the  Lord  ;  for  I  am  married 
unto  you."  Thus  the  divine  Being  addresses  the 
wicked  by  the  endearing  appellation  of  children. 

That  it  is  consiitent  with  the  doctrine  of  Jesus  to 
allow  that  sinners  are  the  children  of  God,  this  di- 
vine teacher  fully  shows  where  he  teaches  us  to 
pray,  and  say ;  "  Our  father  which  art  in  heaven — 
forgive  us  our  sins."  Here  Jesus  teaches  the  sin- 
ner to  call  God  his  Father. 

St.  Paul,  speaking  to  the  Athenians,  as  recorded 
in  the  17th  Acts,  said  ;  "God  that  made  the  world, 
and  all  things  therein, — hath  made  of  one  blood  all 
nations  of  men  for  to  dwell  on  all  the  face  of  the 
earth,  and  hath  determined  the  times  before  ap~ 
pointed,  and  the  bounds  of  their  habitation ;  that 
they  should  seek  the  Lord,  if  haply  they  might 
feel  after  him,  and  find  him,  though  he  be  not  far 
from  every  one  of  us ;  for  in  him  we  live,  and 
move,  and  have  our  being  ;  as  certain  also  of  your 
own  poets  have  said,  for  we  are  also  his  offspring." 
According  to  this  declaration,  "  all  nations  of  men" 
are  the  offspring  ot  God.  Let  us  inquire, 

3dly.  What  this  relation  of  all  men  to  the  di- 
vine Being  consists  in  ?.. 


229 

It  seems  that  the  simple  fact  of  man's  being  ere* 
ated,  or  formed  of  the  dust  of  the  ground  by  the 
hand  of  God,  is  not  altogether  a  sufficient  cause  to 
account  for  his  being  called  his  offspring ;  for  it  is 
evident  that  all  other  creatures  and  things  were 
equally  the  production  of  the  divine  Power  ;  but 
the  beasts  of  the  field,  the  fowl  of  heaven,  the  fish 
of  the  sea  are  not  called  the  offspring  and  children 
of  God. 

If  a  man,  who  is  a  mechanic,  contrive  and  make 
ever  so  curious  or  valuable  a  piece  of  machinery, 
it  would  not  justify  our  calling  him  the  father  of 
this  production  of  his  skill,  nor  would  it  justify  our 
calling  this  machine  the  son,  child,  or  offspring  of 
him  who  made  it.  But  if  a  man  have  born  to  him 
a  child,  this  child  partakes  of  the  very  nature  of 
the  parent,  and  it  is  this  participation  which  consti- 
tutes the  relation  of  father  and  child.  So  if  the 
"  Father  of  spirits"  has  so  constituted  man,  that  he 
is  a  partaker  of  his  nature,  he  is,  in  a  most  proper 
and  divine  sense  the  child  and  offspring  of  God. 

This  is  the  nature  of  the  relation  which  consti- 
tutes all  men  the  children  of  God,  and  this  relation 
lies  at  the  foundation  of  the  divine  economy,  by 
which  we  are  amply  provided  with  all  things  which 
appertain  to  life  and  godliness.  This  relation 
accounts  for  till  which  we  read  in  the  scriptures  of 
the  love,  mercy,  and  compassions  of  the  divine  Be- 
ing towards  man.  We  cannot  conceive  the  possi- 
bility of  any  being's  loving  that  which  is  totally 
different  from  itself. 

But  man  "  is  the  image  and  glory  of  God,"  and 
it  is  as  consistent  with  the  nature  of  things,  for  God 
to  love  his  own  image  in  mankind,  as  it  is  for  par- 
ents to  love  their  image  in  their  children. 

This  relation  accounts  for  the  moral  obligation 
that  men  are  under  to  love  God  above  every  other 
object.  "  Thou  shalt  love  the  Lord,  thy  God  with 


230 

• 

all  thy  heart,  and  with  all  thy  soul,  and  with  all  thy 
strength,"  is  not  an  arbitrary  command,  but  is  es- 
tablished on  the  nature  of  the  divine  relation  in 
which  we  stand  to  our  Father  which  is  in  heaven. 
If  there  were  in  nature  any  thing  more  calculated 
to  happify  mankind  than  is  the  divine  Being,  that 
thing  would  certainly  have  the  greatest  claim  on 
our  love. 

But  this  is  not  the  case  ;  there  is  not  in  the  whole 
universe  any  thing  so  favourable  to  man,  as  is  the 
Father  of  his  spirit.  God  is  the  fountain  from 
which  we  came,  and  nothing  but  God  can  satisfy 
the  soul. 

David  gaid  ;  "  As  the  hart  panteth  after  the  wa- 
ter-brooks, so  panteth  my  soul  after  thee,  O  God. 
My  soul  thirsteth  for  God,  for  the  living  God."  If 
water  were  not  a  part  of  the  composition  of  the 
human  body,  we  should  never  feel  a  desire  for  it, 
nor  could  it  give  us  the  least  refreshment.  So  if 
we  were  not  partakers  of  the  divine  nature  in  our 
constitution  as  mortal  beings,  we  could  never  feel 
the  least  desire  for  God,  nor  could  the  communi- 
cations of  the  divine  spirit  give  us  life  or  any  re- 
freshment. How  eagerly  does  one  who  is  thirsty 
receive  the  cooling  draught,  and  with  what  exquis- 
ite pleasure  does  he  slake  his  parching  thirst.  .Te- 
ens says :  "  If  any  man  thirst,  let  him  come  unto 
me  and  drink  ;"  Drink  what  ?  The  spirit  of  truth 
which  is  a  well  of  water  springing  up  into  ever- 
tasting  life. 

This  divine  relation,  which  constitutes  all  men 
the  children  of  God,  explains  the  meaning  of  such 
passages  as  the  following ;  "  For  the  earnest  expec- 
tation of  "the  creature  waiteth  for  the  manifestation 
of  the  sons  of  God. — Because  the  creature  itself 
also  shall  be  delivered  from  the  bondage  of  corrup- 
tion into  the  glorious  liberty  of  the  children  of 
God: — For  we  know  that,  if  our  earthly  house  of  this 


231 

*  • 

tabernacle  were  dissolved,  we  have  a  building  of 
God,  an  house  not  made  with  hands,  eternal  in  the 
heavens.  For  in  this  we  groan,  earnestly  desiring 
to  be  clothed  upon  with  our  house  which  is  from 
heaven.  For  we  that  are  in  this  tabernacle  do 
groan,  being  burdened ;  not  for  that  we  would  be 
unclothed,  but  clothed  upon,  that  mortality  might 
be  swallowed  up  of  life."  IB  these  passages  men 
are  represented  as  the  sons  of  God,  and  while  they 
are  in  the  earthly  house  of  this  tabernacle,  they 
are  considered  in  a  state  of  bondage,  from  which 
they  groan  to  be  delivered ;  and  the  state  into  which 
they  are  to  enter  when  the  earthly  house  is  dissolv- 
ed, is  the  glorious  liberty  of  the  children  of  God, 
to  inhabit  a  house  not  made  with  hands  eternal  in 
the  heavens. 

Now  if  man  was  wholly  of  an  earthly  nature, 
if  the  natural  elements  which  constitute  his  earth- 
ly house  of  this  tabernacle  compose  the  whole  of 
his  nature,  would  jhere  be  the  least  shadow  of  sense 
in  such  scriptures  ? 

To  conclude  thii  general  inquiry  concerning  the 
children  mentioned  in  our  text,  we  may  ask,  in 
what  way  the  passage  under  consideration  is  to  be 
understood,  unless  this  divine  relation  of  mankind 
to  the  Father  of  our  spirits  be  granted  ?  "  The 
children  are  partakers  of  flesh  and  blood ;"  If  the 
children  were  nothing  but  flesh  and  blood,  why  is  it 
said,'  that  they  are  partakers  of  flesh  and  blood?' 
"  He  (Jesus)  also  himself  likewise  took  part  of  the 
iame."  If  Jesus  consisted  only  of  flesh  and  blood 
ia  it  intelligible  language  to  say,  he  took  part  of 
the  same  ? 

But  the  Christian  hearer  will  say  at  once,  that  he 
has  no  doubt  that  Jesus  partook  of  the  divine  na- 
ture and  stood  in  a  constituted  relation  to  his  Fa- 
ther, and  was  something  besides  flesh  and  blood. 
Now  when  all  this  is  conceded,  the  hearer's  atte*» 


tion  is  invited  to  reconsider  a  part  of  the  context 
which  has  been  noticed;  "For  both  he  that  sanctifi- 
eth  and  they  who  are  sanctified  are  ail  of  one ; 
for  which  cause  he  is  not  ashamed  to  call  them 
brethren."  If  Jesus,  who  is  the  sanctifier,  and 
mankind  who  is  sanctified  by  him,  are  all  of  one, 
so  that  he  is  not  ashamed  to  call  men  his  brethren, 
then  it  is  plain  that  the  nature  of  the  relation  of 
Jesus  to  the  Father  is  the  nature  of  the  relation 
of  every  maji  to  the  Father  of  our  spirits.  And 
this  agrees  with  the  scripture  which  saith  that  Je- 
sus is  "  the  first  born  among  many  brethren. 

The  hearer  is  cautioned  against  supposing  that 
we  mean  to  level  the  blessed  Redeemer  to  no  more 
than  equality  with  ourselves,  by  contending  that 
the  relation  in  which  we  stand  to  our  Father  and 
his  Father;  to  our  God  and  his  God,  is  the  same 
in  which  he  himself  stands ;  for  though  all  this  is 
evident  from  the  scriptures,  yet  it  is  also  contained 
in  them,  that  "  God  hath  highly  exalted  him,  and 
given  him  a  name  that  is  above  every  name  that  is 
named,  whether  in  this  world  or  that  which  is  to 
come,  that  in  the  name  of  Jesus  every  knee  should 
bow  of  things  in  heaven,  and  things  on  earth,  and 
things  under  the  earth ;  and  that  every  tongue 
should  confess  that  Jesus  is  Lord  to  the  glory  of 
God  the  Father." 

We  may  now  notice  the  moral  condition  which 
our  text  and  context  give  to  the  children  named  in 

fj 

the  text,  and  concerning  whom  we  have  endeav- 
oured to  direct  the  foregoing  researches. 

On  this  question  we  may  say  but  little ;  as  the 
subject  is  rendered  sufficiently  clear  by  the  scrip*- 
ture  under  consideration  and  its  connection. 

In  our  text,  these  children  are  said  to  be  partakers 
of  flesh  and  blood,  and  to  be  in  bondage  through 
fear  of  death.  Just  above  the  Apostle  had  said, 
as  has  been  twice  noticed ;  "  Both  he  that  sanctifi- 


233 

eth  and  they  who  are  sanctified  are  all  of  one,"  &c. 
By  this  we  learn  that  the  children  were  in  an  ua- 
sarictified  state,  which  rendered  their  sanctification 
necessary.  And  this  agrees  with  the  following  ac- 
count which  we  find  in  the  Apostle's  writing  to  the 
Ephesians ;  "  Husbands  love  your  wives,  even  as 
Christ  also  loved  the  church,  and  gave  himself  for 
it ;  that  he  might  sanctify  and  cleanse  it  with  the 
washing  of  water  by  the  word  ;  that  he  might  pre- 
sent it  to  himself  a  glorious  church,  not  having  spot, 
or  wrinkle,  or  any  such  thing ;  but  that  it  should  be 
holy,  and  without  blemish." 

This  is  the  church  of  which  mention  is  made  in 
our  context :  "  I  will  declare  thy  name  unto  my 
brethren ;  in  the  midst  of  the  church  will  I  sing 
praise  unto  thee." 

This  is  the  church  which  Jesus  loved,  when  it 
was  unsanctified,  unclean,  full  of  spots  and  wrinkles, 
and  in  a  state  of  bondage.  This  church  consists  of 
every  man  or  the  whole  human  family,  as  the 
Apostle  saith  in  the  place  where  our  text  lies ; 
"  But  we  see  Jesus,  who  was  made  a  little  lower 
than  the  angels,  for  the  suffering  of  death,  crowned 
with  glory  and  honour;  that  he  by  the  grace  of 
God  might  taste  death  for  every  man." 

Our  next  inquiry  may  be  directed  to  obtain  the 
meaning  of  the  following  words ;  "  He  also  himself 
likewise  took  part  of  the  same ;  that  through  death 
he  might  destroy  biin  that  had  the  power  of  death, 
that  is,  the  devil." 

These  words  seem  to  indicate  the  following 
things ; — 1st.  That  the  devil  has  the  power  of  death. 
2d.  That  the  devil  may  be  destroyed.  3d.  That 
the  means  by  which  the  devil  can  be  destroyed  is 
that  of  death.  And,  4th.  That  Jesus  took  on  him 
flesh  and  blood  for  the  purpose  of  destroying  the 
devil,  by  means  of  death.  Apprehensions  are  en* 
tertained  that  we  are  about  to  encounter  some  for- 
30 


234 

midable  difficulties  in  the  progress  of  this  inquiry, 
especially  if  we  entertain  the  opinion  concerning 
the  devil,  which  has  been  generally  believed.  This 
opinion  supposes,  that  the  devil  is  an  immortal  spirit, 
that  he  was  once  an  angel  of  light,  and  an  inhabi- 
tant of  heaven,  in  which  God  and  holy  angels 
dwell.  It  supposes  that  this  angel  rebelled  against 
the  Almighty,  for  which  cause  he  was  driven  out 
of  heaven,  and  cast  down  to  hell,  where  he  will  ex- 
ist in  unspeakable  torments  ai  long  as  God  shall 
exist  in  heaven,  happiness,  and  glory. 

Dr.  Watts,  whose  opinion,  concerning  the  devil, 
or  satan,  was  according  to  the  wisdom  of  other  doc- 
tors, has  left  the  following  as  his  sentiment,  to  be 
read  and  sung  in  Christian  devotion  : 

"  Far  in  the  deep  where  darkness  dwells, 

"  The  land  of  horror  and  despair, 

"  Justice  hath  built  a  dismal  hell, 

"  And  laid  her  stores  of  vengeance  there. 

u  Eternal  plagues,  and  heavy  chains, 

"  Tormenting  racks  and  firey  coals. 

"  And  darts  t'  inflict  immortal  pains, 

"  Dy'd  in  the  blood  of  damned  souls. 

"  There  Satan  the  first  sinner  lies, 

"  And  roars  and  bites  his  iron  bands; 

"  In  vain  the  rebel  strives  to  rise, 

"  Crusb/d  with  the  weight  of  both  thy  hands." 

Now  it  is  certainly  very  difficult,  according  to  this 
doctrine,  to  account  for  all  that  the  scriptures  say 
indicating  that  the  devil  has  continually  sojourned 
in  this  world.  This  same  author  supposes  that  ihis 
satan,  who  lies  in  the  "  dismal  hell"  of  which  he 
spake,  crushed  with  the  weight  of  both  the  hands  of 
the  Almighty,  and  who  strives  to  rise  from  his  con- 
finement in  vain,  was  the  tempter  who  beguiled 
our  mother  Eve.  He  says  ; 

"  When  Satan  in  the  serpent  hid, 

"  Propos'd  the  fruit  that  God  forbid." 

And  not  only  does  this  common  opinion  about  the 
devil,  suppose  he  was  the  tempter,  who  beguiled 


235 

Eve,  but  it  supposes  that  he  is  present  with  every 
man  through  his  whole  lifetime  on  earth,  tempting 
us  to  sin ! 

But  our  authors  have  not  told  us  how  the  devil 
can  be  confined  to  that  "  dismal  hell/'  of  which 
they  say  so  much,  and  at  the  same  time  be  here 
on  earth  to  superintend  the  vast  affairs  of  sin  and 
wickedness  throughout  all  nations  and  kingdoms  of 
the  world. 

There  are  more  difficulties  still  which  we  must 
dispose  of  as  prudently  as  possible. 

If  the  devil  be  in  fact  an  immortal  spirit,  and  if 
he  be  confined  to  a  state  of  endless  misery,  how 
shall  we  understand  the  Apostle  in  our  text,  who 
says,  that  Jesus  took  flesh  and  blood,  that  through 
death  he  might  destroy  him  that  had  the  power  of 
death,  that  is,  the  devil  ? 

How  could  Jesus,  by  dying,  destroy  an  immor- 
tal, spiritual  being?  and  one  too  who  is  to  exist  as 
long  as  Jesus  shall  exist? 

Not  only  is  it  believed,  that  the  devil  will  exist 
as  Jong  as  Jesus,  who  died  to  destroy  him,  but  it 
is  likewise  believed  that  he  will  be  able  to  main- 
tain his  government  over  a  much  larger  number  of 
the  human  race,  than  will  ever  be  made  subject  to 
the  laws  of  the  Redeemer.  In  support  of  this 
opinon,  such  passages  of  scripture  as  the  following 
are  frequently  cited;  "  Many  are  called,  but  few 
are  chosen. — Wide  is  the  gate  and  broad  is  the 
^vay  that  leadeth  to  destruction,  and  many  there 
be  which  go  in  thereat :  Because  strait  is  the  gate, 
and  narrow  is  the  way,  which  leadeth  unto  life,  and 
few  there  be  that  find  it."  It  is  believed  that  the 
adversary  is  continually  exerting  himself,  and 
using  all  his  infernal  arts  to  lead  men  into  sin,  that 
the  divine  Being  may  be  moved  to  sentence  them 
to  his  dismal  abode,  where  he  may  have  the  con- 
trol of  them  forever;  on  the  other  hand,  it  is  be- 


23$ 

liered  that  Jesus  Christ  is  Continually  employing 
all  the  means  of  grace  to  bring  sinners  to  repent- 
ance, that  they  may  be  his  happy  subjects  in  the 
eternal  world  ;  but  the  result  of  all  these  counter 
operations,  and  this  warfare  between  Christ  and 
the  adversary  will  be  a  few  to  the  praise  of  the  glory 
of  the  Redeemer's  name,  and  many  victims  to  the 
more  successful  endeavours  of  the  prince  of  dark- 
ness! 

Notwithstanding  these  sentiments  are  thought  to 
be  true,  and  of  essential  importance  in  the  Christian 
doctrine,  yet  we  hear  abundance  said,  find  much 
written,  and  not  a  little  sung  of  the  glorious  victory 
which  Jesus  won  over  the  adversary,  when  he  died, 
and  rose  from  the  dead.  But  if  those  sentiments 
be  correct,  which  give  the  result  of  the  warfare, 
between  Christ  and  the  adversary  so  much  in  favour 
of  the  latter,  it  is  evident  that  another  contest,  and 
one  more  like  victory  would  establish  the  adversary 
in  universal  dominion ! 

That  we  may,  at  once  deliver  our  minds  from  all 
the  inconsistencies  which  the  common  opinion 
concerning  the  devil  involves,  let  us  avail  ourselves 
of  the  important  fact,  that  no  such  sentiment  is 
found  in  the  scriptures,  nor  in  the  least  favoured  by 
reason  or  common  sense. 

That  the  devil  was  ever  a  holy  angel  we  have  no 
account  in  the  scriptures ;  that  any  man  was  ever 
tempted  by  an  agent  distinct  from  the  powers  of 
flesh  and  blood  we  have  no  reason  to  believe. 
St.  James  says  ;  "  Every  man  is  tempted,  when  he 
is  drawn  away  of  his  own  lust,  and  enticed-"  And 
it  is  a  fact,  that  we  are  never  tempted  to  commit 
any  sin,  that  may  not  be  accounted  for  without  a 
separate  agent. 

The  word  devil,  or  satan,  means  an  adversary,  an 
enemy,  an  opposer.  And  this  character  every  man 
finds  in  himself.  Every  man,  being  a  partaker  of 


237 

flesh  and  blood,  has  the  adversary  in  him,  who 
tempts  him  to  sin;  and  can  say,  with  as  much  pro- 
priety as  St.  Paul  did,  "  In  me,  that  is  in  my  flesh, 
dvvelieth  no  good  thing."  The  Apostle  further 
says ;  "  J  delight  in  the  law  of  God  after  the  inward 
man.  But  I  see  another  law  in  my  members 
warring  against  the  law  of  my  mind,  and  bringing 
me  into  captivity  to  the  law  of  sin  which  is  in  my 
members."  Again  he  says,  "  the  flesh  lusteth 
against  the  spirit,  &nd  the  spirit  against  the  flesh  ; 
and  these  are  contrary  the  one  to  the  other;  so  that 
ye  cannot  do  the  things  that  ye  would. — .Now  the 
works  of  the  flesh  are  manifest,which  are  these:  adult- 
ery ,fornication,uncleanness,lasciviousness,idolatry, 
witchcraft,  hatred,variance,emulations,wrath,strife, 
seditions,  heresies,  envyings,  murders,  drunkenness, 
revellings,  and  such  like."  Again  he  says  ;  "  the 
carnal  mind  is  enmity  against  God,  is  not  subject 
to  his  law,  neither  indeed  can  be." 

This  "carnal  mind,"  this  "  law  of  sin,"  this  enmity 
against  God,  is  the  devil,  that  has  the  power  of 
death,  for  "  to  be  carnally  minded  is  death.'*  Cor- 
ruption and  mortality  are  within  the  powers  of 
flesh  and  blood,  and  the  history  of  sin,  evil,  and 
death  no  where  extends  beyond  those  limits. 

This  power  of  the  flesh  was  figuratively  repre- 
sented by  the  serpent,  which  beguiled  Eve  ;  and 
it  was  said  to  the  serpent ;  "  dust  shalt  thou  eat  all 
the  days  of  thy  life."  The  prophet  Isaiah  says ; 
"dust  shall  be  the  serpent's  meat." 

This  serpent  is  not  an  immortal  spirit ;  for  such 
a  spirit  surely  would  not  feed  on  dust ;  and  the 
words ;  "  all  the  days  of  thy  life,"  certainly  indicate 
that  the  life  of  the  serpent  would  come  to  an  end. 

It  seems  that  our  subject  must  now  be  plainly 
seen  by  the  hearer. 

"  Forasmuch  then  as  the  children  are  partakers 
of  flesh  and  blood,  he  also  himself  likewise  took 


238 

part  of  the  same ;  that  through  death  he  might 
destroy  him  that  had  the  power  of  death,  that  is, 
the  devil."  That  is,  as  the  children  of  God,  the 
heirs  of  life  and  immortality  are  partakers  of  flesh 
and  blood,  in  order  to  abolish  death  and  bring  life 
and  immortality  to  light ;  in  order  to  destroy  the 
devil  and  his  works,  arid  to  triumph  over  all  these 
earthly  and  carnal  powers,  Jesus  took  on  him  flesh 
and  blood,  was  made  in  all  points  like  unto  his 
brethren,  was  tempted  in  all  points  as  we  are,  sub- 
dued every  temptation  of  the  flesh,  by  the  power 
of  the  spirit  which  he  had  without  measure,  laid 
down  his  natural  life,  arose  from  the  dead  incor- 
ruptible and  immortal.  "  He  dieth  no  more;  death 
hath  no  more  dominion  over  him."  Flesh  and 
blood  which  cannot  inherit  the  kingdom  of  God, 
and  corruption  which  cannot  inherit  incorruption 
are  no  more.  The  serpent's  days  are  ended,  he 
has  no  more  dust  to  eat,  he  is  destroyed  and  is  no 
more. 

If  the  adversary  had  an  immortal  constitution, 
could  exist  out  of  flesh  and  blood  as  well  as  in  them, 
the  putting  off  of  flesh  and  blood,  would  only  de- 
molish one  of  the  enemy's  encampments,  while  it 
would  leave  him  unbounded  gpace  and  eternity 
to  occupy  still. 

We  may  now  draw  to  a  conclusion,  by  an  at- 
tempt to  illustrate  the  following  clause  of  our  text; 
"And  deliver  them,  who  through  fear  of  death, 
were  all  their  lifetime  subject  to  bondage.'' 

For  want  of  the  knowledge  of  life  and  immortality 
which  Jesus  has  brought  to  light  by  his  resurrection 
from  the  dead,  men  are  perpetually  subject  to  bon- 
dage through  fear  of  death.  But  a  belief  in  the 
gospel  of  our  blessed  Redeemer  gives  us  a  com- 
plete victory  over  all  such  fears.  It  enters  the  si- 
lent, dark  mansion  of  the  dead,  with  a  steady  clear 


239 

light  which  directs  us  to  the  bright  abodes  of  im- 
mortal life. 

The  disciples  of  Jesus,  who  were  favoured  with 
positive  evidence  of  the  resurrection  of  the  Saviour, 
were  so  completely  delivered  from  the  bondage  of 
fear,  that  they  never  hesitated  to  publish  the  doc- 
trine of  the  resurrection  even  to  the  perpetual  haz- 
ard of  their  lives. 

Such  was  the  persuasion  which  St.  Paul  had  of 
the  truth  of  the  resurrection,  and  the  glory  of  the 
future  world,  that  he  said ;  "  I  am  in  a  strait  be- 
tween two,  having  a  desire  to  depart,  and  to  be  with 
Christ ;  which  is  far  better."  This  Apostle  built 
all  his  hopes  of  a  future  existence  on  the  fact  of  the 
resurrection  of  Jesus  Christ.  He  says ;  "  If  Christ 
be  not  raised,  your  faith  is  vain  ;  ye  are  yet  in  your 
sins.— But  now  is  Christ  risen  from  the  dead,  and 
become  the  first  fruits  of  them  that  slept. — For  as 
in  Adam  all  die,  even  so  in  Christ  shall  all  be  made 
alive.*'  He  further  says  ;  "  The  first  man  is  of  the 
earth,  earthy  ;  the  second  man  is  the  Lord  from 
heaven. — And  as  we  have  borne  the  image  of  the 
earthy,  we  shall  also  bear  the  image  of  the  heavenly/' 

In  the  image  of  the  earthy  man  we  find  the  carnal 
mind,  which  is  enmity  against  God,  is  not  subject  to 
his  law,  neither  indeed  can  be.  We  find  a  law  in 
our  members  warring  against  the  law  of  our  mind, 
and  bringing  us  into  captivity  to  the  law  of  sin. 
We  find  all  the  fruits  of  the  flesh,  and  all  the  devil, 
of  which  the  Apostle  speaks  in  our  text,  that  has 
the  power  of  death.  But  in  the  image  of  the  heav- 
enly man  none  of  these  things  exist.  No  carnal 
mind,  no  enmity  against  God,  no  law  in  the  mem- 
bers warring  against  the  law  of  the  mind.  That 
flesh  and  blood  which  cannot  inherit  the  kingdom 
of  God,  and  that  corruption  which  cannot  inherit 
interruption  will  exist  no  more. 


240 

The  "  whole  creation"  thus  delivered  from  the 
bondage  of  corruption  into  the  glorious  liberty  of 
the  children  of  God,  will  realise  the  fulness  of 
what  we  now  see  but  in  part. 

My  brethren,  how  near  are  these  things !  but  a 
moment,  as  it  were,  separates  us  from  the  immor- 
tal scenes  anticipated  by  the  Christian  faith.  The 
view  of  these  eternal  things  and  a  steady  belief  in 
them,  are  present  victory  over  the  powers  of  the 
flesh.  This  is  indeed  a  holy  calling,  a  calling  to 
heavenly  mindedness  and  heavenly  conversation. 
These  thoughts  and  contemplations  are  blossoms  in 
the  desert,  they  are  pools  in  parched  ground.  This 
doctrine  of  eternal  life  is  a  river  in  a  dry  place, 
the  shadow  of  a  great  rock  in  a  weary  land. 

Jesus  says;  "  In  the  world  you  shall  have  tribu- 
lation, but  in  me  ye  shall  have  peace." 

My  friends,  do  not  reject  and  refuse  this  peace, 
this  joy,  this  consolation,  because  it  is  free  to  all. 
You  do  not  refuse  the  light  and  warmth  of  the  sun 
because  all  men  have  it;  why  then  will  you  turn 
your  backs  on  the  grace  of  Jesus  because  he  is  that 
wisdom  which  is  without  partiality? 


No.  16. 

LECTURE  SERMON,      |, 

DELIVERED  AT  THE 

SECOND  UNIVERSALIST  MEETING,  IN  BOSTON, 
FEBRUARY  28,  1819. 


BY  HOSEA  BALLOU,  PASTOR. 

Published  Semi-Monthly  by  Henry  Bowen,  Devonshire-street. 

REVELATION,  xxi.  8. 

"  But  the  fearful,  and  unbelieving,  and  the  abominable,  and  murderers, 
and  whoremongers,  and  sorcerers,  and  idolaters,  and  all  lyars,  shall  have 
their  part  in  the  lake  which  burneth  with  Jire  and  brimstone  ;  which  is 
the  second  death." 

THIS  passage  is  among  the  number  which  hare 
been  used  to  prove  a  state  of  intolerable  misery  in 
the  eternal  world,  and  continually  recited  in  those 
terrific  sermons  which  were  designed  to  awaken 
the  fears,  and  operate  on  the  timidity  of  the  igno- 
rant. 

Our 'duty  leads  us  to  investigate  the  use  which 
has  been  made  of  this  passage,  to  examine  the  pro- 
priety of  its  common  application,  and  as  plainly  as 
possible  refute  whatever  may  appear  incongruous 
with  the  word  of  God,  and  the  doctrine  of  his  grace. 
It  will  likewise  be  expected,  frbat  suitable  labour 
will  be  directed  to  discover  the  true  sense  of  this, 
and  similar  passages. 

Our  text  informs  us,  that  the  lake  of  fire  and 
brimstone  is  the  second  death,  and  as  this  death  is 
called  "  the  second  death,"  it  evidently  refers  to  a 
first  death.  The  common  doctrine  of  the  church 
supposes  that  the  first  death  is  the  death  of  the 
31 


242 

natural  body,  and  the  second  death  the  eternal 
condemnation  of  the  soul  and  body  after  the  re- 
surrection, in  a  state  of  the  most  exquisite  torture. 

There  seems  to  be  no  small  inconsistency  in  this 
opinion,  in  that  it  makes  the  second  death  to  be 
second  to  something  as  entirely  different  from  it- 
self as  any  thing  could  be  invented.  The  death  of 
the  body  consists  in  a  total  extinction  of  animal 
life,  in  an  intire  destitution  of  all  sense,  and  ren- 
ders the  subject  incapable  of  pleasure  or  pain. 
Where  then  is  the  propriety  of  calling  a  state  of 
the  quickest  sensation,  and  the  most  intolerable 
misery  second  to  that  which  is  altogether  unlike  it  ? 

While  a  person  lives  in  this  world,  he  is  subject 
to  sorrow,  adversity,  sickness,  and  pain.  Why 
then  would  it  not  seem  altogether  more  congruous 
to  call  a  state  of  misery  hereafter  the  second  life, 
than  to  call  it  the  second  death,  that  is,  second  to 
the  death  of  the  body  ? 

Another  very  great  inconsistency  in  the  common 
use  of  our  text  is,  that  it  supposes  that  after  peo- 
ple shall  have  ceased  from  all  the  sins  which  are 
enumerated  in  the  text,  and  are  in  a  constitution  of 
existence  in  which  no  such  crimes  can  ever  be  com- 
mitted, they  are  then  and  there  to  be  tormented 
for  what  they  did  in  this  world.  No  one  supposes 
that  there  will  be  unbelievers,  whoremongers,  idol- 
aters, &c.  in  the  eternal  world.  What  reason  then 
is  there  in  supposing,  that  in  a  world  where  no 
crime  can  ever  be  committed,  crimes  will  be  eter- 
nally punished?  rh  this  world  we  are  obliged  to 
punish  crimes,  and  the  object  is  to  reclaim  the 
criminal,  or  to  deter  others  from  committing  like 
offences,  or  both.  But  what  is  this  punishment  for 
in  the  eternal  world,  in  which  no  one  pretends 
that  any  crime  can  ever  be  committed  ? 

Will  the  advocate  for  this  hereafter  punishment, 
pretend  that  it  is  inflicted  on  mankind  because  they 


243 

have  been  sinful  in  this  world  ?  We  will  then  ei> 
deavour  to  show  that  this  is  not  a  correct  answer. 

Suppose  then  that  a  man  now  commits  a  crime, 
say  theft,  or  murder,  must  he  be  punished  ?  Yes, 
he  surely  must  be  punished.  Why,  what  necessity 
is  there  of  this  punishment  ?  Answer ;  if  he  be 
not  punished,  he  will  repeat  the  crime  with  impu- 
nity, and  restraint  will  be  taken  from  others,  and 
crimes  will  be  multiplied. 

This  is  admitted  as  a  rational  answer,  and  pub- 
lic sentiment  yields  to  the  execution  of  the  law. 

But  this  answer  cannot  be  giren  in  relation  to 
this  supposed  punishment  in  the  future  world  ;  for 
punishment  can  be  no  terror  to  evildoers,  where 
there  are  none. 

In  case  of  criminality  in  this  world,  could  it  be 
made  to  appear,  that  the  relinquishment  of  penalty 
would  in  no  way  tend  to  multiply  crimes,  the  hu- 
manity and  good  sense  of  the  public  would  most 
surely  discontinue  to  punish. 

It  is  evident  that  punishment  regards  the  future, 
and  directs  its  endeavours  to  reclaim  from  wicked- 
ness and  to  prevent  crimes. 

By  the  prophet  Isaiah,  God  says  to  sinful  Israel ; 
"  Why  should  ye  be  stricken  any  more  ?  Ye  will 
revolt  more  and  more."  The  evident  sense  of  this 
is,  there  is  no  good  reason  for  punishing,  unless  evil 
can  be  prevented  by  it. 

But  what  evil  will  be  prevented  by  this  endless 
punishment  in  the  future  world  ?  Its  advocates  do 
not  pretend  that  it  will  either  make  its  subjects  bet- 
ter, or  restrain  others  from  sin. 

But  it  is  said,  that  it  is  necessary  to  hold  up  the 
terrors  of  endless  punishment  to  deter  people 
from  committing  sin  in  this  world.  If  this  be  all, 
there  is  no  necessit)  of  the  doctrine's  being  a  truth, 
if  it  be  believed,  though  in  fact  it  be  false,  it  has 
all  the  effect  to  deter  people  from  committing  sin 
that  it  would  have  were  it  true. 


244 

But  we  are  ready  to  deny  even  this  utility  to  the 
doctrine  in  question.  For  the  advocate  of  the 
doctrine  makes  provisions  which  completely  nullify 
its  power  to  produce  any  such  effect.  He  informs 
the  transgressor  that  if  he  repent  of  his  sins  any 
time  in  this  life  he  will  avoid  this  punishment  here- 
after ;  and  moreover  he  certifies  him  that  repent- 
ance is  within  his  own  power,  and  that  he  can  re- 
pent any  time  if  he  will.  Now  where  is  the  terror  ? 
We  will  suppose  that  our  legislature  makes  a 
law,  that  if  a  man  steal  to  the  amount  of  a  certain 
sum,  he  shall,  on  conviction  thereof  be  confined  to 
hard  labour  for  life,  unless  he  shall  in  one  week  af- 
ter committing  the  crime  wash  his  hands  in  clean 
water.  Would  there  be  any  terror  in  this  law  ? 
Would  this  law  prevent  wicked  men  from  stealing? 
No,  it  would  not.  Nor  does  telling  them  that  unless 
they  repent  of  their  sins  before  they  die  they  will 
be  punished  for  them  in  the  future  world  prevent 
their  committing  sins. 

Having  suggested  these  improprieties  in  the 
common  use  of  our  text,  we  may  now  proceed  to 
inquire  for  the  scripture  doctrine  concerning  it. 

As  this  lake  of  fire  and  brimstone  is  called  the 
second  death,  we  wish  to  have  it  kept  in  mind,  that 
wherever  we  read  of  the  lake  of  fire,  the  same  is  the 
second  death;  and  wherever  we  read  of  the  second 
death,  the  same  is  the  lake  of  fire. 

The  first  passage  in  which  we  find  the  second 
death  mentioned,  in  these  words,  is  recorded  in  the 
2d  of  Revelations,  and  in  the  epistle  to  the  church 
of  Smyrna  ;  "  Fear  none  of  those  things  which  thou 
shalt suffer;  behold,  the  devil  shall  cast  some  of 
you  into  prison,  that  ye  may  be  tried :  and  ye  shall 
have  tribulation  ten  days :  be  thou  faithful  unto 
death,  and  T  will  give  thee  a  crown  of  life ;  He 
that  hath  an  ear  let  him  hear  what  the  spirit  saith 
unto  the  churches  :  he  that  overcometh  shall  not  be 
hurt  of  the  second  death." 


245 

This  was  written  to  a  Christian  church,  and 
plainly  indicated  that  those  who  should  not  over- 
come the  trials  with  which  they  wereaboutto  be  tried, 
but  who  should  be  overcome  by  them,  should  be 
hurt  of  the  second  death. 

Tf  the  hearer  will  use  proper  caution  on  this  sub- 
ject, what  is  meant  by  the  second  death  will  be 
very  plainly  seen.  This  church  of  Smyrna  had 
been  collected  from  among  the  Gentile  idolaters. 
The  state  they  were  in,  before  their  conversion  to 
Christianity  is  called  death  in  the  language  of  the 
JVevi  Testament.  In  his  epistle  to  the  Ephesians, 
St.  Paul  says ;  "  But,  God  who  is  rich  in  mercy, 
for  his  great  love  wherewith  he  loved  us,  even  when 
we  were  dead  in  sins,  hath  quickened  us  together 
with  Christ."  The  blindness  of  the  Jews  and  the 
idolatry  of  the  Gentiles  are  represented  as  a  state 
of  death  from  which  the  gospel  was  designed  to 
raise  and  quicken  the  nations.  Jesus  said  ;  "The 
hour  is  coming  and  now  is,  when  the  dead  shall 
hear  the  voice  of  the  Son  of  God,  and  they  that 
hear  shall  live."  St.  John  says;  "We  know  that 
we  have  passed  from  death  unto  life,  because  we 
love  the  brethren."  And  St.  Paul  again  says; 
"  For  the  law  of  the  spirit  of  life  in  Christ  Jesus 
hath  made  me  free  from  the  law  of  sin  and  death." 

This  state  of  moral  death  in  which  the  gospel 
found  both  Jews  and  Gentiles  is  the  first  death. 
From  this  death  the  gospel  quickened  and  raised  its 
converts  into  newness  of  life  and  espoused  them 
to  Christ. 

To  the  Romans  St.  Paul  says ;  "  Likewise  reckon 
ye  also  yourselves  to  be  dead  indeed  unto  sin,  but 
alive  unto  God  through  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord. 
Let  not  sin,  therefore  reign  in  your  mortal  bodies, 
that  ye  should  obey  it  in  the  lusts  thereof :  Neith- 
er yield  ye  your  members  as  instruments  of  «n- 
righteousness  unto  sin  ;  but  yield  yourselves  unto 


246 

God,  as  those  that  are  alive  from  the  dead,  arid  your 
members  as  instruments  of  righteousness  untd 
God." 

Being  made  alive  unto  God  by  faith  in  Jesus, 
and  having  turned  their  backs  on  the  idols  they  had 
formerly  worshipped,  these  Gentile  Christians  were 
exposed  to  grievous  persecutions  ;  and  in  this 
epistle,  which  St.  John  wrote  on  the  isle  of  Patmos, 
they  are  reminded  of  certain  trials  which  they  were 
about  to  encounter,  and  are  told  that  those,  who 
should  overcome,  should  not  be  hurt  of  the  second 
death.  That  is,  if  they  remained  stedfast  in  the 
doctrine  of  Christ,  they  should  not  again  fall  into 
a  state  of  death,  which  would  be  to  them  a  second 
death. 

In  the  epistle  to  the  church  of  Sardis  we  have 
an  account  of  this  death's  having  actually  taken 
place.  The  following  is  the  account ;  "  I  know  thy 
works,  that  thou  hast  a  name  that  thou  livest  ancj 
art  dead."  This  death  had  come  upon  them  in 
consequence  of  their  having  defiled  their  garments. 
The  writer  says  to  the  minister  of  the  church ; 
"  Thou  hast  a  few  names  even  in  Sardis,  which  have 
not  defiled  their  garments ;  and  they  shall  walk 
with  me  in  white:  for  they  are  worthy."  This  was 
a  plain  intimation  that  the  most  of  them  in  Sardis 
had  defiled  their  garments ;  and  if  they  had  defiled 
their  garments,  it  proves  that  they  had  had  clean 
garments,  for  that  which  is  not  clean  cannot  be 
defiled. 

Here  then  the  case  is  plain.  Those  people  had 
been  washed  in  the  water  of  regeneration  ;  their 
garments  had  been  made  white  in  the  blood  of  the 
Lamb  ;  they  had  been  made  alive  by  the  quicken- 
ing spirit  of  Christ ;  but  now  they  had  turned  from 
the  holy  commandments  which  bad  been  delivered 
unto  them;  they  had  defiled  their  garments;  and 
though  they  retained  the  name  of  Christ,  yet  they 


247 

were  dead;  and  this  death  must  be  the  second 
death  ;  for  they  had  been  dead  in  sin  before. 

The  writer  of  the  epistle  further  observes ; 
"  He  that  overcometh,  the  same  shall  be  clothed  in 
white  raiment ;  and  I  will  not  blot  out  his  name 
out  of  the  book  of  life,  but  I  will  confess  his  name 
before  my  Father,  and  before  his  angels."  Now 
it  is  plain  that  those  who  had  defiled  their  garments 
had  not  overcome,  and  as  they  were  dead,  their 
names  were  blotted  out  of  the  book  of  life.  This 
shows  that  their  names  had  been  in  the  book  of 
life,  for  if  they  had  not,  how  could  they  have  been 
blotted  out.  Names  that  are  in  a  book  may  be 
blotted  out  of  that  book,  but  it  is  not  possible  to 
blot  a  name  out  of  a  book  in  which  it  was  never 
written  ! 

We  can  now  see  the  reasonableness  of  saying, 
that  the  second  death  is  the  apostacy  which  has 
taken  place  under  the  gospel  dispensation. 

Of  this  falling  away  we  read  in  a  number  of 
passages.  St.  Paul  speaks  of  it  to  the  Thessaloni- 
ans  as  follows ;  "  Let  no  man  deceive  you  by  any 
means ;  for  that  day  shall  not  come,  except  their 
come  a  falling  away  first,  and  that  man  of  sin  be 
revealed ;  the  son  of  perdition — whom  the  Lord 
shall  consume  with  the  spirit  of  his  mouth,  and 
shall  destroy  with  the  brightness  of  his  coming." 

St.  Peter  speaks  of  apostate  Christians,  and  calls 
them  "  cursed  children ;  which  have  for*aken  the 
right  way,  and  are  gone  astray."  And  further  he 
says  of  them  ;  "  If  after  they  have  escaped  the 
pollutions  of  the  world,  through  the  knowledge  of 
the  Lord  and  Saviour  Jesus  Christ,  they  are  again 
entangled  therein,  and  overcome  ;  the  latter  end  is 
worse  with  them  than  the  beginning. 

For  it  had  been  better  for  them  not  to  have 
known  the  way  of  righteousness,  than,  after  they 
have  known  it,  to  turn  from  the  holy  command- 
ments delivered  unto  them." 


it  is  evident  that  those  of  whom  the  Apostle 
ripake,  had  been  in  the  right  way,  otherwise  they 
could  not  have  forsaken  it.  They  had  known  the 
way  of  righteousness,  but  had  turned  from  the  holy 
commandments  which  they  had  received  ;  they  had 
escaped  the  pollutions  of  the  world,  through  the 
knowledge  of  Jesus,  but  were  again  entangled 
therein  and  overcome.  These  were  dead  the 
second  time.  Jude  speaks  of  them  as  follows; 
"  These  are  spots  in  your  feasts  of  charity,  when 
they  feast  with  you,  feeding,  themselves  without 
fear ;  clouds  are  they  without  water,  carried  about 
of  winds ;  trees  whose  fruit  withereth,  without  fruit, 
twice  dead,  plucked  up  by  the  roots.'' 

Let  it  be  observed  in  this  place,  that  the  errors 
by  which  Christianity  was  early  corrupted,  and  the 
false  doctrines  which  were  introduced  into  the 
church,  together  with  all  the  vile  and  abominable 
idolatries  and  senseless  superstitions  which  have 
characterised  Christianity  for  ages  form  what  we 
mean  by  the  second  death,  and  constitute  what  the 
scriptures  mean  by  a  lake  of  fire  and  brimstone. 

We  have  an  account  of  this  fire  and  brimstone 
in  the  14th  of  Revelations  as  follows;  "And  the 
third  angel  followed  them,  saying  with  a  loud 
voice,  if  any  man  worship  the  beast  and  his  image, 
and  receive  his  mark  in  his  forehead,  or  in  his  hand, 
the  same  shall  drink  of  the  wine  of  the  wrath  of 
God,  which  is  poured  out  without  mixture  into  the 
cup  of  his  indignation  ;  and  he  shall  be  tormented 
with  fire  and  brimstone  in  the  presence  of  the  ho- 
ly angels,  and  in  the  presence  of  the  Lamb;  and 
the  smoke  of  their  torment  ascendeth  up  forever 
and  ever ;  and  they  have  no  rest  day  nor  night 
who  worship  the  beast  arid  his  image,  and  whoso- 
ever receiveth  the  mark  of  his  name." 

The  hearer  is  requested  to  keep  in  mind  that  this 
fire  and  brimstone,  and  the  second  death  are  the 


249 

same.  And  as  we  have  already  seen  that  the  prim- 
itive Christians  did,  many  of  them,  apostatize  from 
the  truth,  defile  their  garments,  were  overcome  by 
the  corruptions  of  the  world  and  were  hurt  of  the 
second  death ;  and  as  all  this  appears  to  have  taken 
place  here  in  this  mortal  state,  and  to  have  not  the 
least  allusion  to  a  state  of  punishment  in  the  future 
world,  we  will  now  examine  what  we  have  just 
quoted  concerning  this  torment  with  fire  and  brim- 
stone, and  see  if  it  be  in  this  world  or  in  the  eter- 
nal state. 

The  first  thing  the  hearer  is  requested  to  get 
possession  of  is,  that  this  torment  is  experienced  by 
the  worshippers  of  the  beast  at  and  during  the  time 
of  their  worshipping  him.  This  is  of  importance 
to  understand ;  for  the  common  use  of  this  scrip- 
ture supposes  that  the  divine  Being  will  torment 
men  in  the  future  state,  out  of  revenge  because 
they  worshipped  the  beast  here  in  time  ;  as  if  they 
were  the  gainers  here  by  worshipping  the  beast, 
and  he  the  loser,  but  finally  the  Almighty  finds 
means,  in  the  eternal  world  to  Inflict  such  ven- 
geance on  those  deluded  creatures,  as  will  perfectly 
satisfy  him  for  the  loss  he  sustained  by  their  wor- 
shipping the  beast. 

We  do  not  mean  to  say  that  those  who  hold  the 
common  opinion  of  the  text,  pretend  to  say,  that 
the  divine  Being  is  a  loser  by  men's  worshipping 
the  beast,  or  that  they  are  gainers  by  such  worship, 
what  we  contend  for  is,  that  the  divine  Being  will 
certainly  act  on  some  principle,  and  as  it  is  not  al- 
lowed that  this  punishment  is  designed  to  reclaim 
or  to  deter,  it  must  be  to  revenge,  which  supposes 
an  injury  received. 

Let  us  ask  the  candid  questions,  and  let  them  be 
candidly  answered,  if  God  have  received  no  injury 
from  his  creatures,  why  should  he  be  unfriendly  to- 
wards them  ?  And  if  there  be  no  real  gains  to  the 
creature  who  worships  the  beast,  no  profit  arising 
from  all  his  services,  why  is  not  this  foolish,  idol- 
32 


250 

atrous,  and  superstitious  worship  bad  enough  to 
punish  its  deluded  votaries. 

Let  us  try  the  force  of  the  following  metaphor, 
which  we  shall  find  to  be  apposite  to  the  present 
subject.  You  who  are  the  parent  of  a  number  of 
children  have  an  enemy,  who,  taking  the  advantage 
of  the  dusk  of  the  evening,  and  by  putting  on  some 
of  your  clothes  and  by  imitating  your  voice  de- 
ceives your  children,  so  that  while  they  think  the} 
are  following  your  directions  through  the  most  drea- 
ry, unpleasant  ways,  they  are  zealously  executing 
your  enemy's  most  cruel  injunctions.  The  pool- 
deluded  children  sometimes  complain  of  their  hard 
service,  and  of  being  destitute  of  refreshment  or 
rest,  but  are  told  to  hold  on  with  good  courage, 
that  though  their  lot  be  hard  at  present,  they  may 
rest  assured  that  as  it  is  their  kind  falher  who  is 
leading  them,  he  will  reward  them  ten-fold  for  all 
they  suffer.  This  deception  goes  on  until  morn- 
ing. No  sooner  than  day-light  appears,  one  of 
your  children  happens  to  get  a  glance  of  the  haggard 
visage  of  your  inveterate  foe  !  He  starts  back  and 
refuses  to  go  any  further,  and  calls  on  his  brethren 
and  sisters  to  stop,  and  tells  them  they  are  all  de- 
ceived, and  are  devoted  to  the  service  of  their  fath- 
er's enemy.  They  no  sooner  find  their  error,  than 
their  deluder  leaves  them,  and  you  find  your  wan- 
dering offspring,  wounded,  and  half  dead.  When 
they  see  you  they  rejoice  and  fly  to  your  embrace, 
deeply  regret  the  delusion  that  has  led  them  from 
you,  and  humbly  implore  your  favour.  The  ques- 
tion now  before  you  is  this,  will  you  now  punish 
your  etnatiated  offspring  because  they  have  been 
deluded  into  misery  and  want?  Your  answer  is 
anticipated.  You  reply,  No,  surely  my  children 
have  sniffled  enough,  I  will  now  let  them  see  that 
their  father's  yoke  is  easy,  and  that  hisburden  is  light. 

That  this  metaphor  is  justified  by  the  subject, 
may  be  seen  by  the  following  in  St.  Paul's  epistle 
to  the  Thessalonians.  Speaking  of  the  man  of  sin, 
he  says  ;  "  Who  opposeth  and  exalteth  himself 


251 

above  all  that  is  called  God,  or  that  is  worshipped  ; 
$o  that  he?  as  God,  sitteth  in  the  temple  of  God, 
shewing  himself  that  he  is  God."  If  the  beast  spok- 
en of  in  Revelations  had  not  deceived  the  people 
he  surely  never  would  have  been  worshipped. 
And  if  we  examine  the  passage  which  speaks  of  the 
torment  endured  by  the  worshippers  of  the  beast, 
we  shall  see  that  the  worshippers  are  thus  torment- 
ed, while  they  worship.  .Notice  these  words;  "And 
they  have  no  rest  day  nor  night,  who  worship  the 
beast."  Have  and  worship,  are  in  the  same  tense. 
And  we  have  no  more  authority  for  supposing  that 
the  worshippers  of  the  beast  are  to  be  tormented 
any  longer  than  they  worship  him,  than  for  sup- 
posing that  they  were  thus  tormented  before  they 
worshipped  him. 

The  hearer  will  also  carefully  notice  these  words; 
"  They  have  no  rest  day  nor  night."  Here  we  find 
the  present  tense  and  the  present  state  distinctly 
set  forth.  "  They  have  no  rest ;"  that  is,  they  are 
now  destitute  of  rest,  "  Day  nor  night.'*  That  ip, 
here,  where  time  is  divided  by  day  and  night. 

Having  ascertained  that  this  torment  is  during 
day  and  night,  and  while  the  tormented  are  wor- 
shipping the  beast,  it  will  contribute  much  to 
the  settling  of  the  subject,  to  know  how  long  this 
beast  is  to  be  worshipped-  In  the  13th  chapter  of 
the  Revelations,  we  have  the  account  wanted,  it 
reads  thus ;  "  And  there  was  given  unto  him  a 
mouth  speaking  great  things,  and  blasphemies ; 
and  power  was  given  unto  him  to  continue  forty 
and  two  months."  In  the  llth  chapter,  we  are  in- 
formed that  the  Gentiles  should  tread  the  holy  city 
under  foot  forty  and  two  months.  This  is  the  same 
forty  and  two  months,  which  the  beast  had  power 
to  continue. 

Now  if  we  multiply  forty-two  by  thirty,  the 
number  of  days  which  the  Jews  allowed  to  a  month, 
the  amount  is  twelve  hundred  and  sixty  days.  This 
is  t  xactly  the  same  time  which  the  two  witnesses 
were  to  prophecy  in  sackcloth,  as  we  read  in  chap- 


ter  llth,  "  And  I  will  give  power  to  my  two  wit- 
nesses, and  they  shall  prophecy  a  thousand  two 
hundred  and  three  score  days,  clothed  in  sackcloth.'* 
One  thousand  two  hundred  and  three  score,  is 
twelve  hundred  and  sixty.  This  is  the  same  period 
with  the  three  days  and  an  half  which  the  dead  bo- 
dies of  the  two  witnesses  were  to  lie  in  the  street  of 
the  great  city,  which  is  spiritually  called  Sodom  and 
Egypt.  If  we  call  a  day  a  year,  three  years  and 
an  half  contain  forty  and  two  months.  And  this  is 
the  same  as  the  time,  times,  and  half  a  time,  which 
the  woman,  of  whom  we  read  in  the  12th  chapter, 
was  to  be  in  the  wilderness.  Calling  these  times 
prophetic  years,  we  find  the  forty  and  two  months, 
which  afford  the  twelve  hundred  and  sixty  days, 
which  we  may  suppose  are  so  many  years. 

Twelve  hundred  and  sixty  natural  years  is  as 
long  a  time  as  can  be  allowed  for  the  continuance 
of  the  beast,  of  his  worship,  or  the  torment  of  his 
worshippers  with  fire  and  brimstone,  which  is  the 
second  death. 

It  is  evident,  beyond  all  dispute,  that  there  is  no 
more  propriety  in  carrying  the  second  death,  or 
lake  of  fire  and  brimstone  into  the  eternal  world, 
than  there  is  in  supposing  that  the  forty  and  two 
months  the  beast  had  power  to  continue,  are  to  be 
reckoned  in  the  eternal  world ;  or  in  supposing  that 
the  holy  city  will  be  trodden  underfoot  of  the  Gen- 
tiles in  the  eternal  world ;  or  in  supposing  that  the 
two  witnesses  will  prophecy  clothed  in  sackcloth  in 
the  eternal  world  ;  or  that  their  dead  bodies  will  lie 
in  the  street  of  the  gfeat  city  called  Sodom  and 
Egypt,  three  days  and  an  half,  in  the  eternal  world  ; 
or  that  the  woman  will  be  in  the  wilderness  a  time, 
times  and  half  a  time  in  the  eternal  world. 

This  representation  of  the  religion  and  doctrines 
of  the  church  of  antichrist,  by  fire  and  brimstone 
agrees  with  the  prophecy  of  Isaiah,  recorded  in  his 
34th  chapter.  "  And  the  streams  thereof  shall  be 
turned  into  pitch,  and  the  dust  thereof  into  brim- 
stone, and  the  land  thereof  shall  become  burning 


253 

pitch.  It  shall  not  be  quenched  night  nor  day,  the 
smoke  thereof  shall  go  up  forever;  from  genera- 
tion to  generation  it  shall  lie  waste ;  none  shall  pass 
through  it  forever  and  ever." 

It  would  seem  that  a  land  of  this  description 
could  not  be  inhabited  by  any  creature  whatever ; 
but  the  prophet  says  ;.  "  But  the  Cormorant  and 
the  Bittern  shall  possess  it ;  the  Owl  also  and  the 
Raven  shall  dwell  in  it."  He  further  supposes  that 
wild  beasts  will  dwell  in  this  land  of  brimstone  and 
fire,  and  says  ;  "  There  shall  the  great  Owl  make 
her  nest,  and  lay  and  hatch,  and  gather  under  her 
shadow."  This  language  is  so  similar  to  the  ac- 
count we  have  of  this  fire  and  brimstone  in  Revela- 
tions, that  we  may  suppose  they  both  relate  to  the 
same  subject. 

The  unclean  beasts  and  birds,  mentioned  by 
Isaiah,  are  the  same  as  mentioned  in  Revelations 
18th.  "Babylon  the  great  is  fallen,  is  fallen,  and 
is  become  the  habitation  of  devils,  and  the  hold  of 
every  foul  spirit,  and  a  cage  of  every  unclean  and 
hateful  bird." 

It  seems  to  have  been  the  design  of  prophecy, 
to  represent  the  church  and  her  doctrines  by  a  land 
whose  very  dust  is  brimstone,  and  whose  streams 
are  burning  pitch,  and  her  clergy  and  rulers  by 
unclean  birds  and  ravenous  beasts.  And  it  is 
certain  that  the  church  of  antichrist,  with  its  rulers, 
its  clergy,  its  doctrines,  and  superstitions,  has 
answered  the  description  in  full. 

We  will  now  endeavour  to  show  that  the  charac- 
ters mentioned  in  our  text  are  those  who  answer 
to  the  worshippers  of  the  beast,  that  they  are  the 
unclean  beasts  and  birds  of  Babylon,  and  that 
their  doctrine  in  room  of  being  a  pure  river  of  the 
water  of  life,  is  fire  and  brimstone  by  which  they 
are  tormented. 

The  first  character  mentioned  in  our  text  is  the 
fearful.  Fear  is  the  very  foundation  of  antichris- 
tian  religion.  It  views  God  in  the  character  of 
a  most  voracious  beast.  It  worships  him  with  a 


view  to  pacify  his  wrath.  It  represents  him  as»full 
of  vengeance  towards  all  who  do  not  render  him 
iaithfui  service,  and  supposes  that  he  will  punish 
f  hem  unmercifully,  if  they  do  not  yield  to  his  re- 
quireme«ts.  This  religion  says,  take  away  the 
fear  of  eternal  damnation,  and  I  would  never  wor- 
ship God  again,  I  would  pay  no  regard  to  his 
ordinances. 

This  religion  is  in  fact  a  stream  of  fire  and  brim- 
stone, fire,  because  it  is  full  of  zeal,  and  brimstone, 
because  it  destroys  the  reason  of  its  votaries. 
There  is  nothing  which  more  suddenly  destroys 
the  regular  action  of  the  brain,  than  sulphur.  Fear 
is  of  this  nature,  it  sets  reason  at  defiance.  So  has 
the  religion  of  the  church.  It  says,  reason  has 
nothing  to  do  with  religion.  What  St.  John  says 
of  fear  and  love  seem  very  appropriate  in  this 
place,  fie  says  "  Fear  hath  torment,*'  and  again  ; 
"  Perfect  love  casteth  out  fear." 

The  unbelieving  is  the  second  character  men- 
tioned. But  who  are  unbelievers?  They  are 
those  whose  creeds  contradict  the  faith  of  Abra- 
ham. God  promised  Abraham,  that  in  him,  and 
HI  his  seed,  all  the  natrons  of  the  earth  should 
be  blessed.  And  it  is  said,  that  Abraham  believed 
God,  and  it  was  counted  to  him  for  righteousness. 
Vbraham  was  therefore  called  the  friend  of  God, 
and  the  father  of  the  faithful.  Now  those  who 
beliove  in  that  Babylonish  creed  which  excludes 
a  great  part  of  mankind  from  the  blessings  of 
Jesus,  and  his  grace,  are  the  unbelieving  mention- 
ed in  our  text.  These  unbelievers  suppose  that 
they  are  the  only  true  believers  on  earth,  and 
their  belief  is  like  fire  and  brimstone,  and  the  more 
firmly  they  believe,  the  more  intensely  they  are 
burn!.  They  have  their  part  in  the  lake  that 
burns  with  fire  and  brimstone,  which  is  the  second 
'{».-?  alb. 

tJo\v  much  is  a  man's  part  in  this  torment  ?  Just 
so  much  as  will  correspond  with  the  perversness 
of  his  abominable  belief.  In  the  same-  ratio  as 


they   believe,  tliey  are  tormented,  and  as  tar  UK 
they  doubt  they  find  relief. 

The  abominable  is  the  third  character  mentioned. 
There  are  many  sinful  practices  which  are  called 
abominable  in  scripture;  one  trray  be  mentioned, 
of  which  Israel  was  guilty,  and  by  which  the  Chris- 
tian church  has  become  contaminated.  In  his  16th 
chapter,  Ezekiel  charges  Jerusalem  of  having  com- 
mitted more  abominations  than  were  committed  by 
Sodom  and  her  daughters ;  and  among  those  the 
following  is  stated  ;  "Moreover  thou  hast  taken 
thy  sons  and  thy  daughters,  whom  thou  hast  born 
unto  me,  and  these  hast  thou  sacrificed  unto  them 
(idols)  to  be  devoured."  This  has  been  done  in 
the  antichristian  church,  by  that  doctrine  which 
consigns  little  children  to  everlasting  torment  for 
tbe  glory  of  that  idol  God,  who  delights  in  such 
cruelty.  Every  soul  that  believes  this  doctrine  is 
tormented  day  and  night.  If  they  have  children 
how  are  their  souls  tormented  with  the  fearful  ap- 
prehension of  their  everlasting  destruction  ? 

Murderers  are  the  fourth  class.  "  He  that  loveth 
not  his  brother  is  a  murderer."  And  that  anti- 
christian  doctrine  which  teaches  that  God  hates  his 
creatures  has  caused  men  to  hate  one  another,  and 
fo  put  thousands  to  death.  This  murderous,  perse- 
cuting spirit  is  a  perpetual  fire,  and  torments  every 
.soul  that  possesses  it. 

Whoremongers  are  the  5th  class.  These  are  those 
who  get  their  living  by  means  of  spiritual  adultery 
under  the  direction  of  the  mother  of  harlots, 
These  are  unclean  birds.  Isaiah  calls  them  Owls, 
Satirs,  Ravens,  £c.  He  says  ;  "  There  shall  the 
great  Owl  make  her  nest,  and  lay,  and  hatch,  and 
gather  under  her  shadow."  This  is  au  unclean 
bird  that  is  afraid  of  the  light. 

Sorcerers  are  tbe  sixth  character.  These  are 
famous  for  their  wisdom,  and  very  deep  understand- 
ing in  dark  mysterious  matters.  They  know  ever} 
thing  about  another  world ;  arid  in  their  own  con- 
ceit, or  pretensions  can  inform  people  concerning 


256 

what  they  call  heaven  and  hell.     These  are  a,  toi* 
ment  to  themselves. 

Idolaters  form  the  seventh  class.  These  are  all 
who  worship  the  false  God,  who  sits  in  the  temple 
of  God,  shewing  himself  to  be  God. 

Liars  are  mentioned  last.  The  author  of  our 
text,  has  given  a  description  of  a  liar.  He  says; 
"  Who  is  a  liar,  but  he  who  denieth  that  Jesus  is  the 
christ ;  he  is  antichrist  that  denieth  the  Father  and 
the  Son." 

These  worshippers  of  the  beast  are  the  dead, 
small  and  great,  which  John  saw  stand  before  God ; 
who  were  judged  out  of  those  things  which  were 
written  in  the  books,  which  are  the  doctrines  of 
men,  according  to  their  works.  They  had  receiv- 
ed the  mark  and  name  of  the  beast,  therefore  their 
names  were  not  in  the  Lamb's  book,  or  doctrine, 
of  life.  These  were  cast  into  the  lake  of  fire  and 
brimstone,  which  is  the  second  death.  . 

The  hearer  is  requested  to  observe  that  the  argu- 
ments to  which  we  have  attended,  go  to  prove  that 
the  false  doctrines  of  antichrist  constitute  the  second 
death,  and  the  lake  of  fire  and  brimstone,  and  that 
these  doctrines  perpetually  torment  them  who  be- 
lieve them.  Our  reasoning  disallows  the  continu- 
ance of  this  torment  after  these  doctrines  of  anti- 
christ shall  be  discontinued.  The  worshippers  of  the 
beast  will  be  tormented  as  long  as  they  worship 
him  ;  but  lie  had  po we*r  given  him  to  continue  only 
forty  and  two  months.  The  hearer  is  likewise  re- 
quested to  observe,  what  Jias  already  been  noticed, 
that  in  order  to  extend  the  second  death  or  lake  of 
fire  and  brimstone  into  another  state  of  existence, 
we  must  also  carry  the  time  of  the  church  in  the  wil- 
derness, the  time  of  theprophecyingof  the  two  wit- 
nesses, in  sa-ckcloth,  and  the  forty  and  two  months  of 
the  reign  of  the  beast  into  a  future  state.  All 
which  is  palpably  absurd. 

My  brethren,  this  discourse  will  close  with  the 
following  divine  induction ;  "  Come  out  of  her  my 
people,  that  ye  be  not  partakers  of  her  sins,  and 
that  ye  receive  not  of  her  plagues." 


No.  17.       "v*. 

LECTURE  SERMON,        •*! 

DELIVERED  AT  THE 

SECOND  UNIVERSALIST  MEETING,  IN  BOSTON, 
MARCH  14,  1819. 


BY  HOSEA  BALLOU,  PASTOR. 

Published  Semi-Monthly  by  Henry  Bowen,  Devonshire-street. 

2  TIMOTHY  i.  9,  10. 

"  Who  hath  saved  tw,  and  called  us  with  an  holy  calling^  not  according  to 
our  works,  but  according  to  hit  own  purpose  and  grace^  which  wasgiwn 
us  in  Christ  Jesus  before  the  world  began  : — But  is  now  made  manifest 
ty  the  appearing  of  our  Saviour  Jesus  Christ,  uho  hath  abolished  death) 
and  hath,  brought  life  and  immortality  to  light  through  ihe  gospel." 

OUR  first  inquiry  will  be  directed  to  ascertain 
what  the  Apostle  means  by  the  word  saved.  With 
a  view  to  bring  this  subject  to  the  understanding 
of  the  hearer,  in  as  plain  and  as  profitable  a  man- 
ner as  possible,  we  shall  attempt  in  the  first  piace 
to  examine  the  common  doctrine  of  the  church  re- 
specting salvation,  and  in  the  second  place  bring 
the  scripture  testimony  on  the  subject  into  view,  that 
the  difference  between  the  common  doctrine  and 
the  divine  testimony  may  distinctly  appear. 

What  we  propose  to  examine  in  the  first  place  is 
found  in  the  following  statement,  which  is  here 
quoted  from  the  shorter  catechism  ;  "  All  mankind 
by  the  fall  lost  commilriion  with  God,  are  under  his 
wrath  and  curse,  and  so  made  liable  to  all  the  mis- 
cries  of  this  life,  to  death  itself,  and  to  the  pains  of 
hell  forever.'*  This  is  the  miserable  state  into 
which  man  fell,  according  to  the  sentiment  under 
33 


258 

examination;  and  from  which  God  provided  means 
to  save  some,  accordingly  as  is  expressed  thus ; 
"God  having  out  of  his  mere  good  pleasure  from 
all  eternity,  elected  some  to  everlasting  life,  did 
enter  into  a  covenant  of  grace  to  deliver  them  out 
of  the  state  of  sin  and  misery,  and  to  bring  them 
into  a  state  of  salvation  by  a  Redeemer." 

It  is  evident  that  the  learned  divines,  who  com- 
posed this  creed,  designed  to  apply  the  doctrine  of 
salvation  in  a  way  to  save  the  elect  from  the  ever- 
lasting pains  of  hell,  more  specially  than  to  save 
them  from  the  miseries  of  this  life  and  from  death  ; 
for  it  is  a  fact  well  known  to  all,  that  whoever  these 
elected  ones  may  be,  they  are  subject  to  death  as 
well  as  others,  and  it  is  generally  thought  that  they 
have  a  larger  share  of  the  miseries  of  this  life. 

This  common  doctrine  of  salvation  may  there- 
fore be  stated  thus;  All  mankind,  the  elect  and 
non  elect,  by  the  fell  are  under  God's  wrath  and 
curse,  which  curse  is  the  pains  of  hell  after  the 
death  of  the  body  and  forever  ;  but  in  conformity 
to  a  decree  of  God,  made  from  all  eternity,  there  is 
a  Redeemer  provided  to  save  the  elect  from  this 
everlasting  curse. 

Having  now  before  us  the  doctrine  of  salvation 
as  it  has  been  held  in  the  Christian  church  for  a 
long  lime,  and  as  it  is  now  held  and  taught  to  old 
and  young,  let  us  attempt  to  examine  its  propriety. 
And  let  this  be  done  with  all  that  candor  which  is 
due  to  all  subjects  of  moment,  and  especially  to 
this  which  evidently  involves  the  character  of  the 
divine  Being.  Let  it  be  done  too  with  that  charity 
towards  the  framers  of  this  creed,  and  towards 
those  who  now  believe  in  it,  which  holds  the  high- 
est rank  among  the  Christian  virtues ;  for  certain 
it  is  that  this  candor  and  charity  are  necessary  to 
be  kept  in  constant  exercise,  among  such  short- 
sighted, benighted  creatures. 


259 

On  approaching  the  proposition  before  us,  the 
following  absurdities  present  themselves. 

1st.  It  is  absurd  to  say,  that  those  whom  God 
elected  from  all  eternity  to  be  saved  by  a  Redeemer, 
are  liable  to  the  pains  of  hell  forever. 

2d.  It  appears  absurd  to  say,  that  those  whom 
God  entered  into  a  covenant  to  save,  are  under  his 
wrath  and  curse,  by  which  everlasting  misery 
hereafter  is  intended. 

3d.  This  scheme  of  salvation  accuses  the  divine 
Being  of  partiality  in  the  most  direct  manner.  It 
states  that  all  mankind  are  in  one  condition,  all  un*- 
der  God's  wrath  and  curse,  and  all  liable  to  the 
pains  of  hell  forever;  but  that  though  all  are  in  one 
condition,  the  scheme  of  salvation  embraces  only  a 
part  without  extending  the  least  benefit  to  the 
rest. 

4th.  The  doctrine  under  examination  supposes 
that  the  divine  Being  has  condemned  millions  of 
unborn  infants  to  the  pains  of  hell  forever,  for  an 
act  which  Adam  and  Eve  committed  in  the  garden 
of  Eden,  which  certainly  appears  to  be  unjust  in 
the  extreme. 

Let  candor  look,  for  one  moment,  at  these  ab- 
surdities and  improprieties,  and  at  the  same  time 
let  charity  kindly  impute  them  to  the  imperfec- 
tion of  our  common  nature. 

A  body  of  learned  divines  have  said,  after  much 
deep  study  and  profound  deliberation,  that  God 
from  all  eternity  elected  some  of  the  human  race 
unto  salvation  by  a  Redeemer,  and  at  the  same 
time  say,  that  these  elected  ones  are  under  his 
curse  which  is  the  pains  of  hell  forever  in  the  fu- 
ture world.  These  learned  doctors,  who  knevr 
that  the  scriptures  assert  the  impartiality  of  God, 
and  who  professed  to  believe  that  he  is  no  respec- 
ter of  persons,  have  limited  his  eternal  mercy  to 
but  a  part  of  mankind,  and  have  excluded  the  rest 


280 

from  his  favour  forever.  Notwithstanding  they 
well  knew,  that  it  is  repugnant  to  the  law  of  God 
to  condemn  the  innocent,  and  that  ihe  divine  Be- 
ing hath  said,  "  the  son  shall  not  suffer  for  the  ini* 
quity  of  the  father,"  yet  for  one  act  of  Adam  they 
have  condemned  all  mankind  to  a  state  of  endless 
misery. 

According  to  these  tenets  thousands  of  millions 
of  unhappy  wretches  have  already  been  sent  to 
this  hell,  of  which  these  divines  speak,  without  ever 
knowing  until  they  got  there,  that  there  ever  was 
an  Adam,  or  that  he  had  sinned  and  involved  them 
in  this  a\vful  calamity  to  all  eternity.  How  many 
millions  of  infants,  of  people  who  were  educated  in 
Christian  countries,  have  gone  from  this  world  be- 
fore they  were  old  enough  to  understand  the  horri- 
ble story  framed  by  these  divines ;  but  much  more 
numerous  still  is  the  number  of  those  who  Were 
born  in  heathen  lands  and  never  heard  of  any  part 
of  the  Christian  scriptures,  much  less,  if  possible  of 
this  antiscriptural  creed. 

Such  is  the  general  corruption  of  the  Christian 
doctrine,  introduced  by  the  creed  under  considera- 
tion, that  all  which  people  think  of  being  saved 
from  is  the  pains  of  hell  hereafter. 

On  this  notion  sermons  in  general  have  been 
framed,  and  carefully  directed  to  instruct  people 
in  the  way  by  which  they  may  be  saved  from  this 
hell  in  the  future  state. 

This  future  misery  is  the  gloomy  subject,  which 
is  presented  to  people's  minds,  in  all  the  vivid 
forms  which  imagination  and  the  most  powerful 
-eloquence  have  been  able  to  set  forth,  in  order  to 
terrify  the  mind  and  to  call  into  action  the  most 
fearful  apprehensions  of  which  the  human  mind  is 
susceptible.  A II  this  is  considered  necessary  in  order 
to  lead  sinners  to  repentance,  by  which  they  may 
avoid  this  state  of  torment. 


261 

This  scheme  of  doctrine  leads  the  mind  to  un- 
derstand the  scriptures,  which  speak  of  saving  sin*- 
ners,  to  mean  the  saving  them  from  hell  in  the 
eternal  world,  or  from  the  wrath  and  curse  of  God 
hereafter. 

The  hearer  is  requested  to  take  this  common 
opinion  into  careful  consideration  and  compare  it 
with  the  scripture  testimony.  First  examine  to 
see  if  you  can  find  this  wrath  and  curse  of  God 
resting  on  all  mankind,  of  which  such  careful  men- 
tion is  made  in  the  creed  to  which  we  have  alluded. 

After  a  careful  and  patient  examination  of  the 
divine  testimony,  your  humble  servant  has  unspeak- 
able joy  in  being  able  to  say  that  this  wrath  and 
curse  of  God  is  no  where  recorded  in  the  scrip- 
tures. 

When  those  doctors,  who  framed  the  creed  un- 
dertook to  describe  the  consequences  of  the  first 
transgression,  did  they  a!  all  confine  themselves  to 
the  divine  word?  No,  surely  they  did  not;  for  if 
they  had  done  this,  they  would  not  have  found  that 
God  pronounced  any  curse  even  on  Adam  and 
Eve  themselves,  much  less  on  all  mankind  for  what 
these  two  did. 

If  this  unaccountable  notion  of  the  wrath  and 
curse  of  God  were  a  trufh  would  it  not  have  been 
announced  by  the  Creator  on  his  first  visit  to  his 
sinful  children  ?  But  did  the  merciful  Father  of 
our  spirits  intimate  to  Adam  and  Eve,  that  they 
had  brought  his  wrath  and  curse,  which  are  eternal 
misery,  not  only  on  themselves,  but  on  all  their 
numerous,  unborn  offspring? 

No,  blessed  be  his  name,  he  mentioned  but  two 
curses,  and  one  of  them  was  on  the  serpent,  and 
the  other  was  on  the  ground.  And  in  room  of  say- 
ing one  word  concerning  cursing  all  mankind  with 
the  pains  of  hell  in  a  future  state,  the  divine  Being 
did  not  intimate  that  even  the  serpent  himself  would 


262 

be  subject  to  any  infelicity  beyond  his  natural  life. 
"  Dust  shalt  thou  eat  all  the  days  of  thy  life  ;"  and 
beyond  this  there  was  no  intimation.  It  was  said 
to  the  serpent;  "I  will  put  enmity  between  thee 
and  the  woman,  and  between  thy  seed  and  her 
seed  ;  it  shall  bruise  thy  head  and  thou  shalt  bruise 
his  heel."  Here  in  room  of  God's  wrath  and  curse 
on  our  first  parents,  is  a  blessed  and  glorious  pro- 
mise of  a  final  victory  over,  and  deliverance  from 
the  power  of  the  tempter. 

Let  us  next  inquire  for  the  scripture  testimony 
concerning  salvation,  and  endeavour  to  understand 
what  we  are  saved  from,  and  by  what  means  we 
are  saved. 

On  this  particular,  less  will  be  necessary  than 
would  be  required  if  the  same  had  not  been  notic- 
ed in  some  of  our  former  lectures  ;  yet  such  is  the 
importance  of  the  doctrine  under  consideration,  as 
to  justify  its  frequent  investigation. 

It  was  said  by  the  Angel  of  God,  to  Joseph,  con- 
cerning the  child  Jesus,  "  Thou  shalt  call  his  name 
Jesus  for  he  shall  save  his  people  from  their  bins." 
According  to  this,  that  from  which  Jesus  saves  us, 
is  our  sins.  But  according  to  the  common  doctrine, 
it  seems  that  the  angel  would  have  said  ;  thou  shalt 
call  his  name  Jesus  for  he  shall  save  the  elect  from 
the  wrath  and  curse  of  God  in  the  future  world. 

In  justifying  himself  before  the  scribes  and  Phari- 
sees, who  accused  him  of  receiving  sinners  and  eat- 
ing with  them,  our  Saviour  represented  sinners  by 
a  sheep  gone  astray,  and  the  repentance  and  salva- 
tion of  sinners  he  represented  by  the  return  of  the 
lost  sheep  to  the  fold,  by  the  diligent  concern  and 
care  of  the  shepherd.  Let  us  here  ask,  what  the 
sheep  that  went  astray  was  saved  from  ?  Was  it 
saved  from  the  wrath  and  curse  of  its  owner  ?  Had 
the  shepherd  any  decree  out  against  the  comfort 
and  life  of  this  strayed  member  of  his  flock?  Would 


263 

it  not  seem  absurd  in  the  extreme  to  pretend  that 
the  shepherd  went  after  the  sheep  with  a  view  to 
save  it  from  his  own  vengeance  ?  The  fact  is,  the 
sheep  was  saved  from  its  wanderings  and  from  all 
the  inconveniences  of  the  condition  into  which  it 
had  wandered. 

The  parable  of  the  prodigal  son  is  another  beau- 
tiful representation  of  the  salvation  of  sinners,  and 
is  found  in  connection  with  the  parable  of  the  lost 
sheep,  and  used  by  the  Saviour  for  the  same  pur- 
pose. 

But  what  was  the  Prodigal  finally  saved  from  by 
being  brought  to  repentance,  and  to  mV  father's 
house  ?  Was  he  saved  from  any  wrath  and  curse 
of  his  father  ?  Had  the  father  any  unmerciful  de- 
cree out  against  his  son's  life  or  happiness  ?  When 
the  returning  son  was  yet  a  great  way  off,  and  the 
father's  compassion  urged  him  to  run  and  meet  his 
child,  was  this  parental  effort,  and  all  the  mighty 
tide  of  compassion  manifested  on  that  occasion  ex- 
erted to  save  this  son  from  his  father's  wrath  and 
curse  ? 

The  hearer  cannot  but  see  that  nothing  could  be 
more  unreasonable  than  this  notion.  And  yet  is  it 
not  as  plain  as  the  gun  at  noon,  that  the  common 
doctrine  of  salvation  is  predicated  exactly  on  this 
absurdity  ?  Does  it  not  explain  scripture  in  a  way 
to  represent  the  divine  Creator  as  exerting  the 
means  of  his  grace  to  save  sinners  from  his  own 
wrath  and  curse  ?  Does  it  not  hold  up  the  idea 
that  God  sent  his  son  to  surfer  and  die  for  sinners, 
in  order  to  save  them  from  this  curse  of  the  Father, 
which  curse  is  said  to  be  the  pains  of  hell  forever? 
Does  it  not  constantly  hold  forth  the  notion,  that 
the  ministry  of  the  gospel  is  now  exerting  all  its 
energies  and  means  to  snatch  sinners  away  from 
the  divine  wrath,  as  brands  are  plucked  from  a 
fire? 


... 

The  divine  instructor  on  another  similar  oc- 
casion to  the  one  we  have  just  noticed,  made  us$ 
of  the  following  simile  ;  "  The  whole,  need  not  the 
physician,  but  they  that  are  sick.  For  the  son  of 
man  is  not  come  to  call  the  righteous,  but  sinner? 
to  repentance." 

As  the  Saviour  represented  the  case  of  the  sin- 
ner by  one  who  is  sick,  and  the  salvation  of  the  sin» 
ner  by  the  recovery  of  the  sick  to  health  by  means 
of  a  physician,  we  may  ask,  if  it  could  be  reconcil- 
ed with  reason  and  common  sense,  to  pretend  that 
the  physician  exerts  his  skill  and  the  power  of  his 
medicine  to  save  his  patient  from  his  wrath  and  in- 
dignation ? 

The  fact  is,  my  Christian  friends,  Jesus  who 
dwells  in  the  bosom  of  the  Father,  never  repre- 
sented his  doctrine  of  salvation  to  be  in  any  sense 
Jike  the  doctrine  of  the  church  which  we  have  ex- 
amined. Our  heavenly  father,  as  manifested  in  his 
son,  and  as  held  up  by  the  preaching  of  Jesus, 
loves  his  enemies,  loves  sinners,  and  because  he 
loves  them  he  sent  his  son  to  be  the  propitiation 
for  our  sins.  He  sent  him  to  save  us  from  our  sins, 
and  to  reconcile  us  to  God. 

St.  Paul  to  the  Colossians  says  of  God  ;  "  Who 
hath  delivered  us  from  the  power  of  darkness,  and 
hath  translated  us  into  the  kingdom  of  his  dear 
son." 

This  passage  very  plainly  shows  us  the  nature  of 
that  salvation  of  which  our  text  speaks.  It  is  a  sal- 
vation from  error,  deception,  ignorance  and  all 
their  evils,  to  truth,  knowledge,  understanding  and 
all  their  blessings. 

To  the  Ephesians  he  says,  that  "Christ  loved 
the  church  and  gave  himself  for  it,  that  he  might 
sanctify,  and  cleanse  it  with  the  washing  of  water 
by  the  word;  that  he  mi<rht  present  it  to  himself  a 
glorious  church,  not  having  spot  or  wrinkle,  or  any 


265 

4 

such  tiling ;  but  that  it  should  be  holy  and  without 
blemish." 

Let  us  carefully  examine  this  representation,  for 
here  the  Apostle  informs  us  the  object  which 
Christ  had  in  view  when  he  gave  himself  for  the 
church.  And  what  was  it?  Was  it  to  appease 
his  Father's  wrath  ?  Was  it  to  reconcile  the  Fath- 
er to  the  church  ?  Was  it  to  save  the  church  from 
God's  wrath  and  curse  in  the  eternal  world  ? 

No,  my  brethren,  Jesus  gave  himself  for  the 
church  that  he  might  sanctify  and  cleanse  it.  The 
church  was  in  an  unsanctified,  unclean  state, 
and  the  gospel  or  doctrine  of  Christ  is  that  water 
or  word  by  which  he  cleanses  and  saves  it  from  its 
uncleanness.  Christ  saves  his  church  from  all  spots 
and  wrinkles,  and  presents  it  to  himself  a  glorious 
church.  Hark,  and  hear  those  sons  and  daughters 
speak  in  loud  exclaim ;  "  Thou  hast  loved  us  and 
washed  us  from  our  sins  in  thine  own  blood." 

Our  next  endeavours  will  be  directed  to  illustrate 
what  the  Apostle  means  by  the  holy  calling,  with 
which  he  accompanies  our  salvation,  and  to  show 
the  natural  connection  in  which  they  stand  to  each 
other. 

This  subject  may'be  seen  most  clearly  by  a  lit- 
tle improvement  of  the  similes  which  were  used  to 
represent  the  nature  of  salvation.  But  we  may 
commence  these  remarks  by  recuring  to  the  words 
of  the  Angel  to  Joseph  ;  "  Thou  shalt  call  his  name 
Jesus,  for  he  shall  save  his  people  from  their  sins." 
Now  it  appears  very  consistent  that  when  Jesus 
saves  a  sinner  from  his  sins,  he  should  at  the 
same  time  call  him  to  walk  in  holiness  of  life. 
Otherwise  what  benefit  could  there  result  from  this 
salvation  ? 

If  what  is  meant  by  saving  the  sinner,  is  to  save 
him  from  the  penalty  of  the  law,  it  is  true  such  a 
«alvation  might  be  entirely  disconnected  with  a 
holy  calling.  If  a  man  for  instance,  have  stolen, 
lor  which  crime  the  law  says  he  shall  be  thus  and 
34 


21>6 

so  punished,  and  we  wish  to  save  him  from  receiv- 
ing such  punishment,  there  would  be  no  necessary 
connection  between  such  salvation  and  the  reform- 
ed and  virtuous  conduct  of  this  man.  But  if  the 
object  be  to  save  the  man  from  being  a  thief,  it  is 
absolutely  necessary  in  this  case  to  furnish  the  man 
with  such  moral  sentiments,  and  such  a  sense  of 
moral  virtue  as  will  prevent  his  repeating  the 
crime. 

There  seems  to  be  an  evident  connection  like- 
wise, between  bringing  the  lost  sheep  back  to  the 
fold,  and  such  measures  as  might  be  necessary  to 
prevent  it  from  again  going  astray  ;  for  if  the  pro- 
pensity to  wander  still  remain,  and  there  be  no 
provisions  to  prevent  indulgence,  there  would  seem 
an  impropriety  in  making  those  exertions  by  which 
the  sheep  was  found  and  returned  to  the  fold. 

This  subject  is  very  clearly  seen  in  the  case  of 
the  reformed  prodigal.  If  after  he  had  relumed  to 
his  father's  house,  and  had  been  there  most  kindly 
received  ;  if  after  all  his  penitence  and  reformation ; 
if  after  he  had  been  clothed  with  the  best  robe,  had 
shoes  put  on  his  feet,  and  his  father's  ring  upon  his 
hand  ;  if  after  partaking  of  the  fatted  calf  and  the 
joys  of  the  family  on  this  occasion,  he  had  again 
turned  his  back  on  his  father  and  again  acted  the 
prodigal,  the  joy  that  had  lighted  up  the  counte- 
nances of  the  family  would  most  surely  have  been 
turned  into  mourning,  and  in  room  of  festivity,  fast- 
ins:  would  be  more  suitable  to  the  occasion. 

^ 

But  it  is  most  clearly  seen  that  every  circum- 
stance which  contributed  to  the  return  of  this  lost 
son,  and  all  the  favour  which  was  shown  him  by  his 
father,  together  with  all  the  enjoyments  of  the  full 
and  well  replenished  house  to  which  he  was  wel- 
comed, called,  in  the  most  persuasive  manner,  on 
him  who  had  been  dear!,  but  made  alive,  who  had 
been  lost,  but  was  found,  to  take  heed  to  his  ways, 
to  stand  fast  in  the  liberty  wherewith  his  father  had 
made  him  free,  that  he  might  continue  to  enjoy 
those  invaluable  blessings. 


267 

My  Christian  friends,  has  our  merciful  Father  lit 
heaven  condescended  to  forgive  us  all  our  trespass 
ses,  has  he  clothed  us  with  the  white  linen  of  the 
righteousness  of  Christ,  have  we  tasted  that  the 
Lord  is  gracious,  and  heen  permitted  to  set  at  his 
table,  and  to  feast  on  those  rich  provisions  with 
which  Zion  is  blessed?  And  do  not  these  favours 
cail  us  with  an  holy  calling,  to  do  justly,  to  love 
niercv,  and  to  walk  humbly  with  God? 

V       *  ** 

This  same  Apostle  has  signified  the  sentiment  of 
our  text,  in  the  following  words  to  Titus ;  "  For 
the  grace  of  God  which  bringeth  salvation  hath  ap- 
peared to  all  men,  teaching  us,  that,  denying  un- 
godliness and  worldly  lusls,  we  should  live  soberly, 
righteously,  and  godly  in  this  present  world. 
Looking  tor  that  blessed  hope,  and  the  glorious 
appearing  of  the  great  God  and  our  Saviour  Jesus 
Christ,  who  gave  himself  for  us,  that  he  might  re- 
deem us  from  all  iniquity,  and  purify  unto  him- 
self a  peculiar  people  zealous  of  good  works." 
Here  is  redemption  from  all  iniquity,  and  purifica- 
tion unto  good  works.  And  this  is  again  express- 
ed in  the  following  words  to  the  Ephesians  ;  "  For 
by  grace  are  ye  saved  through  faith  ;  and  that  not 
of  yourselves  ;  it  is  the  gift  of  God  :  not  of  works, 
lest  any  man  should  boast.  For  we  are  his  work- 
ma  nship,  created  in  Christ  Jesus  unto  good  works, 
which  (iod  hath  before  ordained  that  we  should 
walk  in  them."  One  passage  more  may  suffice  on 
this  particular.  St.  Peter  addresses  his  brethren 
as  follows ;  "  Grace  arid  peace  be  multiplied  unto 
you  through  the  knowledge  of  God,  and  of  Jesus 
our  Lord,  according  as  his  divine  power  hath  given 
unto  us  all  things  that  pertain  unto  life  and  godli- 
ness, through  the  knowledge  of  him  that  hath  call- 
ed us  to  glory  and  virtue  ;  whereby  are  given  unto 
us  exceeding  great  and  precious  promises ;  that  by 
these  ye  might  be  partakers  of  the  divine  nature, 
having  escaped  the  corruption  that  is  in  the  world 
through  lust.  And,  beside  this,giving  all  diligence. 


.add  to  your  faith,  virtue;  and  to  virtue  knowledge; 
and  to  knowledge,  temperance  ;  and  to  temperance, 
patience  ;  and  to  patience,  godliness  ;  and  to  god- 
liness, brotherly  kindness ;  and  to  brotherly  kind- 
ness, charity.  For  if  these  things  be  in  you,  and 
abound,  they  make  you  that  ye  shall  neither  be 
barren  nor  unfruitful  in  the  knowledge  of  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ.  But  he  that  lacketh  these  things  is 
blind,  and  cannot  see  afar  off,  and  hath  forgotton 
that  he  was  purged  from  his  old  sins.  Wherefore 
the  rather  brethren,  give  diligence  to  make  your 
calling  and  election  sure  ;  for  if  ye  do  these  things 
ye  shall  never  fall  ;  for  so  an  entrance  shall 
be  ministered  unto  you  abundantly  into  the  ever- 
lasting kingdom  of  our  Lord  and  Saviour  Jesus 
Christ.'1  : 

By  the  similes  and  passages  which  we  have  em- 
ployed in  the  illustration  of  this  section  of  our  text, 
it  appears  that  holiness  of  life  is  a  requisition  enjoin- 
ed by  the  gospel,  and  that  this  holiness  of  conduct 
should  be  considered  as  properly  connected  with 
our  salvation  from  sin. 

In  the  passage  quoted  from  St.  Peter,  we  may 
notice  particularly  that  we  are  required  to  add  to  our 
faith  the  Christian  graces,  such  as  virtue, knowledge, 
temperance,  patience,  godliness,  brother  kindness, 
and  charity,  with  the  assurance,  that  if  these  things 
be  in  us,  and  abound,  our  fruitfulness  in  the  know- 
ledge of  our  Lord  will  be  such  whereby  an  en- 
trance will  be  administered  unto  us  abundantly 
into  the  everlasting  kingdom  of  our  Lord  and  Sa- 
viour Jesus  Christ. 

The  conclusion  then  is  evident,  that  although 
we  may  profess  the  true  faith,  yet  if  we  do  not  at- 
tend to  our  holy  calling,  our  faith  becomes  dead, 
cannot  work  by  love,  nor  purify  the  heart. 

Let  us  therefore,  my  brethren,  endeavour  to 
adorn  the  doctrine  of  God  our  Saviour,  by  walk- 
ing worthy  of  the  vocation  wherewith  we  are 
called. 


269 

Our  text  informs  us  that  our  salvation  and  calk- 
ing are  not  according  to  our  works,  but  according 
to  the  purpose  and  grace  of  God,  which  was  given 
us  in  Christ  Jesus,  before  the  world  began.  By 
this  we  understand,  that  as  early  as  the  divine  Be- 
ing purposed  the  gift  of  Jesus  Christ  to  the  world 
of  mankind,  he  gave  us  in  him  this  salvation  and 
holy  calling.  This  grant  therefore,  could  not  be 
governed  by  the  works  of  man,  it  could  not  be  said 
to  be  according  to  our  works  for  the  following 
reasons. 

1st.  Tt  was  given  us  in  Jesus  Christ  before  we 
were  either  born  or  had  done  good  or  evil. 

This  subject  may  be  represented  by  the  follow- 
ing similes,  \\hen  the  Almighty  made  the  earth, 
the  sun,  the  moon,  and  all  things  for  the  conven- 
ience of  all  creatures,  he  gave  the  present  genera- 
tion of  men  the  earth,  the  sun,  the  moon,  and  all 
material  things.  This  gift,  being  in  the  constitu- 
tion of  nature,  and  made  sure  to  us  ages  before  we 
were  born,  could  not  have  been  given  as  a  reward 
for  our  works. 

Again,  When  the  Creator  formed  Adam,  and 
constituted  him  the  natural  father  of  us  all,  he  then 
gave  us,  in  him,  eyes,  with  which  we  see,  ears,  with 
which  we  hear,  mouths,  with  which  we  speak,  feet, 
with  which  we  walk,  and  hands,  with  which  we  la- 
bour. And  it  is  very  evident,  that  these  gifts  were 
not  given  us  as  a  compensation  for  our  works. 
But  it  appears  very  clear  that  our  duty,  and  natural 
calling,  to  make  proper  use  of  our  eyes,  our  ears, 
our  moulhs,  our  feet,  and  our  hands  was  given  us 
in  that  constitution  in  which  those  natural  faculties 
were  given. 

Though  we  are  much  crouded  for  want  of  time 
to  illustrate  the  several  remaining  particulars  con- 
tained in  our  text,  we  feel  pressed  to  mention  in 
this  place,  the  error  so  frequently  urged  on  us  by 
those  who  exhort  us  to  get  an  interest  in  Christ. 
The  hearer  will  perceive  by  these  plain  arguments, 


the  passage  under  consideration,  that  we  all 
had  an  interest  in  Jesus  Christ  before  the  word  be- 
gan. And  you  will  further  observe  that  there  is 
just  as  much  propriety  in  exhorting  people  to  £et 
an  interest  in  Adam  so  that  they  may  inherit  from 
him  the  natural  faculties  of  the  body,  as  to  exhort 
us  to  get  an  interest  in  Christ.  J>ut  it  is  not  only 
proper,  but  highly  necessary  that  all  adhere  to  the 
exhortation  to  improve  all  temporal  and  all  spiritual 
blessings  and  gifts  in  a  way  to  honour  the  benevo- 
lent giver. 

2d.  If  the  Apostle  made  a  comparison  between 
his  former  conduct,  when  he  was  among  the  perse- 
cutors of  Christ,  his  doctrine,  and  his  disciples,  he 
might  very  justly  say  that  the-salvation  which  lie 
had  obtained  by  the  gospel,  and  the  holy  calling 
with  which  he  was  called  were  not  according  to  his 
former  works.  And  if  the  comparison  be  made  be- 
tween the  conduct  of  others,  and  this  salvation,  the 
result  is  expressed  by  the  Apostle  to  Titus  as  fol- 
lows ;  "  For  we  ourselves  also  were  sometimes 
foolish,  disobedient,  deceived,  serving  divers  lusts 
arid  pleasures,  living  in  malice  and  envy,  hateful, 
and  hating  one  another.  But  after  that  the  kind- 
ness and  love  of  God  our  Saviour  toward  man  ap- 
•px»are«l,  not  by  works  of  righteousness  which  we 
have  done,,  but  according  to  his  mercy  he  saved  us, 
by  the  washing  of  regeneration,  and  renewing  of 
the  hoiy  Ghost ;  which  he  shed  on  us  abundantly 
through  Jesus  Christ  our  Saviour." 

Having  made  these  important  statements  to 
which  we  have  attended,  the  Apostle  proceeds  in 
the,  conclusion  of  our  text,  to  speak  of  the  vast 
utility  of  the  appearing  of  Jesus  Christ  in  our 
n-M-ld,  which  was  to  moke  those  things  manifest  by 
abolMiirig  death  and  bringing  life  and  immortality 
to  lii'lit  through  the  gospel. 

It  i-  perfectly  con-istent  with  the  nature  of  things, 
and  wjth  common  observation,  that  the  manifesta- 
tion of  things  is  subsequent  to  their  being  estaj)- 


271 

lished  in  the  counsel  of  him  who  ordains  them, 
And  as  it  would  bo  a  mistake  of  no  small  magni- 
tude to  attribute  to  the  manifestation  of  things, 
the  cause  of  their  existence,  so  it  is  an  error  of  ex- 
tensive magnitude,  to  attribute  to  the  manifestation 
or  appearance  of  Jesus  Christ,  and  what  he  did  in 
our  world,  the  caute  of  that  gift  which  was  made 
sure  to  us,  in  him,  before  the  world  began. 

The  divine  truths  taught  by  the  Saviour,  the  doc- 
trine of  God's  love  to  sinners,  the  forgiveness  of 
sins,  were  all  as  true  before  the  birth,  preaching, 
and  sufferings  of  Jesus,  as  they  have  been  since. 
The  glorious  doctrine  of  the  resurrection  and  of 
future  eternal  life  was  as  true  before  the  process 
of  Jesus  commenced,  as  since.  This  accounts  for 
all  the  passages  which  represent  our  Saviour  as  the 
faithful  and  true  witness.  It  agrees  with  his  own 
words  to  Pilate ;  "  For  this  cause  was  I  born,  and  to 
this  end  came  I  into  the  world,  that  I  should  bear 
witness  to  the  truth."  And  the  same  thing  is  meant 
by  St.  Paul  to  the  Romans  ;  "  But  God  commend- 
elh  his  love  toward  us,  in  that,  while  we  were  yet 
sinners,  Christ  died  for  us." 

It  seems  that  all  which  the  Saviour  did,  was  de- 
signed as  a  manifestation  of  those  divine  things, 
which  our  heavenly  Father  had  given  us  before  the 
world  began.  Things  that  had  been  kept  secret 
from  the  foundation  of  the  world  were  made  known 
when  this  sun  of  righteousness  arose  with  healing: 

*J  c5 

in  his  beams.  So  does  the  rising  sun,  which  makes 
our  natural  day,  manifest  the  surrounding  objects, 
which  the  darkness  of  night  had  obscured  from  our 
sight. 

The  resurrection  of  Jesus  made  manifest  the 
abolition  of  death.  It  brought  to  open  light  what 
was  shown  unto  Moses  at  the  bush,  when  God  said  ; 
"  I  am  the  God  of  Abraham,  and  the  God  of  Isaac, 
and  the  God  of  Jacob.  God  is  not  the  God  of  the 
,  but  of  the  living,  for  all  live  unto  him," 


272 

Our  text  informs  us,  that  Jesus  Christ  hath  not  only 
abolished  death,  but  hath  brought  life  and  immor- 
tality to  light  through  the  gospel.  This  form  of 
expression  fully  acknowledges  that  life  and  immor- 
tality were  divine  facts  in  the  economy  of  God  be- 
fore the  corning  of  Christ,  but  that  his  process  was 
necessary  to  make  these  glorious  things  known  to 
mankind. 

To  conclude,  the  arguments  to  which  we  have  at- 
tended are  designed  to  show  that  the  common  no- 
tion of  saving  mankind  from  the  wrath  arid  curse 
of  God  in  the  eternal  world  is  without  foundation, 
either  in  scripture  or  reason  ;  and  that  according 
to  the  scriptures  our  immortality  and  eternal  life 
were  established  in  the  economy  of  divine  wisdom 
before  man  existed.  Also,  that  the  salvation  which 
the  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ  effects  for  us,  is  a  salva- 
tion from  our  sins,  from  our  wanderings,  from  the 
darkness  of  our  deceived  minds-,  from  all  unclean- 
ness,  to  righteousness,  to  reconciliation  to  God,  to 
the  knowledge  of  the  truth,  and  to  holiness  of  life. 

And  if  it  be  asked,  what  there  is  for  us  to  do,  if 
we  believe  this  doctrine,  we  reply  in  the  words  of 
divine  truth,  which  have  been  already  noticed. 
"  Giving  all  diligence,  add  to  your  faith,  virtue  ; 
and  to  virtue,  knowledge  ;  and  to  knowledge,  tern* 
perance  ;  and  to  temperance,  patience  ;  and  to  pa- 
tience, godliness;  and  to  godliness,  brotherly  kind- 
ness ;  and  to  brotherly  kindness,  charity. 

Furthermore,  if  we  be  asked,  what  reward  we 
may  expect  for  our  careful  attention  to  these  vir- 
tues, we  again  reply;  In  keeping  the  command- 
ments there  is  great  reward.  Great  peace  have 
they  that  love  the  law,  and  nothing  shall  offend 
them.  "And  the  work  of  righteousness  shall  he 
peace,  and  the  effect  of  righteousness,  quietness,  and 
38SU ranee  forever." 


.    I  •  -      No.  18.     '   v(-i 

LECTURE  SERMON,      ** 

DELIVERED  AT  THE 

SECOND  UNIVERSALIST  MEETING,  IN  BOSTON, 
MARCH  28,  1819. 

BY  HOSEA  BALLOU,  PASTOR. 


Published  Semi-Monthly  by  Henry  Bowen,  Devonshire-street. 

MATTHEW  xxr.  46. 

"  And  these  thall  go  away  into  everlatting  punishment :  but  the  righleoiu 
into  life  eternal." 

WHILE  calling  the  attention  of  this  congregation 
to  the  consideration  of  this  portion  of  our  Saviour's 
f  ^timony,  many  difficulties  are  presented  to  the 
»:  and  of  the  speaker ;  some  of  which  it  may  be  profi- 
table to  name. 

1.  The  long  established  use  and  application  of 
this  text,  by  commentators,  preachers,  and  all  de- 
nominations of  Christians  stand  in  direct  opposition, 
in  one  important  particular,  to  the  use  and  appli- 
cation which  your  servant  feels  himself  obligated 
to  make  of  it.  The  particular  alluded  to  is  the 
applying  of  this  text  to  a  future  state  of  our  exist- 
ence. And  to  this  may  be  added  another  particu- 
lar, nearly  as  universally  assented  to  as  the  former, 
which  is  the  belief  that  this  text  proves  the  endless 
duration  of  misery. 

2d.  The  power  of  tradition  in  the  human  mind 
forms  the  most  material  difficulty  which  seems  to 
oppose  our  attempt  to  bring  the  true  meaning  of 
our  Saviour,  in  the  passage  before  us, to  the  hearer's 
understanding.  It  is  vain,  my  friends,  to  pretend 
35 


274 

that  \ve  are  free  in  our  minds  from  the  force  of 
education.  Indeed  we  ought  not  to  be.  We  were 
wisely  so  constituted,  that  what  we  imbibe  in  our 
youth  should  fix  a  lasting  prepossession  in  our 
minds,  in  favour  of  opinions  which  are  recommend- 
ed by  our  instructors,  and  against  those  which 
we  have  been  taught  to  view  erroneous.  But  we 
should  do  well  to  consider,  that  while  it  is  acknow- 
ledged that  great  benefits  arise  from  this  natural 
and  necessary  bias  of  the  human  mind,  it  is  equally 
true,  that  it  may  often  s«  happen  as  to  produce  ef- 
fects most  pernicious.  Solomon  says  ;  "  train  up 
a  child  in  the  way  he  should  go,  and  when  he  is 
old  he  will  not  depart  from  it."  Here  the  author 
relies  on  the  force  of  education,  and  gives  a  most 
wholesome  advice  to  those  who  have  the  charge  of 
children,  to  bring  them  up  in  the  way  they  should 
go.  And  it  is  furthermore  evident  that  the  recom- 
mendation designed  to  guard  against  the  unhappy 
effects  of  the  same  power  in  a  case  where  an  erro- 
neous education  should  be  imposed  on  youth. 

Having  been  taught  in  our  tender  years  that  our 
heavenly  Father  has  ordained  a  stale  of  the  most 
dreadful  torment  in  the  future  state  for  those  who 
are  sinners  in  this  world,  and  having  been  instructed 
at  the  same  time  to  apply  the  text  under  considera- 
tion, together  with  almost  all  passages  of  scripture, 
which  speak  of  the  punishment  of  the  wicked  to 
this  future  state  of  misery,  it  has  become  as  habitual 
for  the  mind  to  apply  such  passages  to  this  future 
misery,  as  to  apply  the  names  London,  Boston,  and 
Philadelphia  to  the  Cities  of  these  names ;  or  as  to 
apply  the  names  Washington,  Franklin,  and  Ad- 
ams to  the  distinguished  statesmen  of  these  names. 

Under  these  circumstances,  the  opposer  of  di- 
vine truth  has  nothing  to  do,  but  to  rest  upon  the 
prejudice  of  the  public  mind.  He  comes  forward 
with  all  possible  assurance  and  boldly  asserts  that 
our  Saviour  has  laid  it  down  in  the  most  solemn 


275 

and  unequivocal  manner  that  "  He  that  believeth 
and  is  baptised  shall  be  saved,  and  he  that  believeth 
not  shall  be  damned  ;"  laying  an  emphasis  on  the 
damnatory  term  that  causes  our  nerves  to  tremble. 
He  depends  entirely  on  the  prepossessions  of  the 
public  mind  to  apply  this  damnation  to  a  future 
state;  an  application  in  no  way  intimated  by  our 
Saviour,  and  by  no  means  intimated  by  any  words 
in  connection  with  the  passage. 

In  the  same  way  the  preacherf  who  applies  our 
text  to  a  state  of  punishment  in  the  future  world, 
manages  with  the  prejudice  of  his  hearers.  He 
says  ;  the  divine  teacher  himself  has  told  us,  that  at 
the  last  judgment,  when  all  the  dead  are  raised  and 
brought  to  the  tremendous  bar  of  God,  the  sinner 
will  be  placed  on  the  left  hand,  and  sentenced  to 
everlasting  punishment.  He  depends  entirely  on 
the  blind  prejudice  of  his  hearer's  minds  to  justify 
his  assertions,  and  the  application  he  makes  of  the 
text.  There  is  not  a  word  in  the  text  nor  in  any 
part  of  its  connections,  that  intimates  any  thing 
about  a  resurrection  of  any  from  the  dead,  or  that 
the  judgment  treated  of  in  this  chapter  is  the  last 
judgment,  or  that  any  part  of  the  subject  belongs 
to  a  future  state. 

But  notwithstanding  the  embarrassments  which 
have  been  named,  and  another,  which  is  by  no 
means  inconsiderable,  the  very  limited  abilities  of 
the  speaker,  which  are  sensibly  felt  as  in  adequate 
to  make  a  proper  arrangement  of  the  momentous 
subject  before  us,  and  altogether  unequal  to  the 
task  of  contending  against  the  host  of  prejudices 
which  are  marshalled  against  the  simplicity  that  is 
in  Christ,  yet  there  are  two  considerations  which 
are  highly  encouraging.  The  testimony  of  Jesus 
which  lies  before  us,  and  which  stands  connected 
with  our  text  makes  our  subject  so  very  plain  that 
it  seems  to  promise  conviction  to  every  mind ;  and 
the  remarkable  candor  which  has  characterised 


276 

/ 

this  congregation,  which  attending  to  this  course  of 
Jectures,  gives  that  support  to  the  speaker,  without 
which  he  would  have  been  discouraged. 

It  may  be  well  for  us  to  raise  some  queries  re- 
specting the  general  use  of  this  portion  of  scrip- 
ture, by  which  the  mind  of  the  hearer  may  be  the 
better  prepared  to  seek  for  its  true  application. 

1st.  As  this  passage  is  usually  applied  to  a  fu- 
ture state,  let  us  ask  whether  in  order  to  justify 
such  an  application  it  be  not  indispensable  that 
some  part  of  the  testimony  in  connection  with  the 
text  should  designate  that  it  belongs,  not  to  this 
state,  but  to  a  future  world  ?  For  instance,  should 
the  speaker,  this  evening  contend  that  this  twenty- 
fifth  of  Matthew  treated  of  things  which  took  place 
before  Noah's  flood,  should  you  not  feel  justified 
in  opposing  such  an  extravagant  statement  by  say- 
ing, that  there  is  not  a  single  intimation  in  the 
whole  chapter  that  gives  any  countenance  to  it  ? 
You  certainly  would.  Then  be  so  candid,  kind 
hearer,  as  to  acknowledge,  that  in  order  to  justify 
the  application  of  this  scripture  to  a  future  state  of 
existence,  there  must  be  found  something  in  the 
testimony  that  so  applies  it. 

2d.  As  it  is  the  current  opinion  that  in  order  for 
the  accomplishment  of  the  judgment  treated  of  in 
this  chapter,  all  the  dead  must  be  raised,  have  we 
not  a  right  to  contend,  that  in  order  to  support  this 
opinion,  the  resurrection  of  the  dead  should  be 
distinctly  stated  some  where  in  the  general  ac- 
count ? 

If  the  speaker  should  now  say,  that  according  to 
the  testimony  of  the  Saviour  concerning  the  judg- 
ment in  the  twenty-fifth  of  Matthew,  the  gift  of 
speech  will  be  given  to  all  the  beasts,  to  all  the 
birds,  and  to  all  the  fishes ;  and  that  at  that  time 
we  shall  hear  them  all  talk  in  our  native  language, 
if  you  thought  proper  to  refute  such  a  visionary 
notion,  would  it  not  be  sufficient  to  say  that  there 


277 

is  nothing  in  the  chapter  or  its  connection  that 
gives  any  authority  for  such  a  statement?  :It  is 
hoped  then  that  you  will  acknowledge,  that  if  it  be 
allowed  that  all  the  dead  will  be  raised  before  the 
judgment,  recorded  in  this  chapter,  can  take  place, 
we  must  be  able  to  find  authority  for  this  opinion 
in  the  account  before  us. 

3d.  An  it  is  held  that  the  judgment/of  which  we 
read  in  this  chapter  is  the  last  judgment,  is  it  not 
very  proper  that  we  should  be  able  to  find  some 
proof  of  this  idea  in  some  part  of  the  testimony  of 
the  divine  instructor  ? 

But  in  relation  to  these  particulars,  we  feel  con- 
fident in  what  has  already  been  said,  that  there  is 
no  intimation  in  the  whole  account  before  us,  that 
this  judgment  is  the  last  judgment,  or  that  the  dead 
will  be  raised  to  be  brought  to  it,  or  that  it  relates 
to  a  future  state. 

The  attention  of  the  hearer  is  now  solicited  to 
the  following  statements,  which  the  speaker  ex- 
pects to  prove  in  this  discourse. 

1st.  The  time  of  the  judgment  under  considera- 
tion, is  confined  to  the  generation  in  which  our  Sa- 
Tiour  lived  on  earth,  according  to  his  own  testi- 
mony. 

2d.  The  Jews,  as  a  people,  who  rejected  the 
gospel  of  Christ,  and  persecuted  his  Apostles  were 
those  who  were  sentenced  to  everlasting  punish- 
ment. And, 

3d.  Those  who  believed  in  Jesus  and  received 
the  testimony,  and  administered  to  the  necessities 
of  his  persecuted  Apostles,  were  those  that  were 
blessed  with  life  eternal. 

The  better  to  bring  those  statements,  accompan- 
ied with  their  proper  proofs,  before  the  mind  of 
the  hearer,  we  shall  commence  our  examination  of 
the  divine  testimony  where  the  subject  before  us 
seems  to  begin.  This  is  in  the  latter  part  of  the 
23d  chapter. 


278 

it  scours  llial  J<  «us  was  in  the  temple  where  ht 
addressed  the  Scribes  and  Pharisees,  calling  them 
hypocrites,  blind  guides,  serpents,  and  a  generation 
of  vipers*  He  then  proceeds  to  testify  to  them  the 
judgment  which  would  come  upon  them  and  the 
occasion  of  it.  "Wherefore,  behold,  I  send  unto 
you  prophets,  and  wise  men,  and  scribes;  and  some 
of  them  ye  shall  kill  and  crucify;  and  some  of  them 
shall  ye  scourge  in  your  synagogues,  and  persecute 
them  from  city  to  city  :  that  upon  you  may  come 
all  the  righteous  blood  shed  upon  the  earth,  from 
the  blood  of  righteous  Abel  unto  the  blood  of  Zac- 
•irias,  son  of  Barachias,  whom  ye  slew  between  lira 
temple  and  the  altar.  Verily,  I  say  unto  you,  all 
these  tilings  shall  come  upon  this  generation." 

Be  so  good,  my  friends,  as  to  remember  this  de- 
claration of  the  Saviour.  He  here  speaks  of  the 
most  tremendous  judgment  that  ever  fell  on  man- 
kind, and  he  confines  the  time  to  that  generation. 
He  then  lamented  over  Jerusalem,  spake  of  its  des- 
olation, and  said  ;  "  Ye  shall  not  see  me  henceforth 
till  ye  shall  say,  blessed  is  he  that  cometh  in  the 
name  of  the  Lord." 

Here  ends  the  23d  chapter,  and  the  24th  com- 
mences by  informing  us  that  "  Jesus  went  out,  and 
departed  from  the  temple :  and  his  disciples  came 
to  him,  for  to  show  him  the  buildings  of  the  temple. 
And  Jesus  said  unto  them,  see  ye  not  all  these 
things  ?  Verily  I  say  unto  you,  there  shall  not  be 
left  here  one  stone  upon  another,  that  shall  not  be 
thrown  down.'*  Here  it  is  evident,  that  Jesus  al- 
luded to  the  event  of  which  he  had  been  speaking 
to  the  Scribes  and  Pharisees,  which  was  the  calam- 
itous destruction  and  desolation  of  their  city. 

"  And.  as  he  sat  upon  the  mount  of  Olives,  the 
disciples  came  unto  him  privately,  saying,  tell  us, 
when  shall  these  things  be  ?  and  what  shall  be  the 
sign  of  thy  coming,  and  of  the  end  of  the  world  ? 


279 

Here  let  us  carefully  notice  what  is  embijiced 
in  the  questions  proposed  by  the  disciples.  They 
asked  the  divine  master,  when  the  things  which  he 
had  denounced  on  the  Jews  should  take  place. 
And  also,  what  would  be  the  sign  of  his  coming, 
and  of  the  end  of  the  world. 

In  reply  to  these  questions,  Jesus  delivered  all 
that  is  recorded  in  the  remainder  of  this,  and  the 
following  chapter.  So  that  in  order  to  understand 
what  he  meant  in  the  25th  we  must  preserve  the 
connection  of  the  subject,  which  evidently  com- 
mences in  the  23,  and  continues  to  the  end  of  the 
25th. 

Jesus  replies ;  "  Take  heed  that  no  man  deceive 
you :  for  many  shall  come  in  iny  name,  saying,  I 
am  Christ ;  and  shall  deceive  many.  And  ye  shall 
hear  of  wars,  and  rumours  of  wars;  see  that  ye  be 
not  troubled ;  for  all  these  things  must  come  to 
pass,  but  the  end  is  not  yet." 

Here  let  us  carefully  inquire  what  Jesus  meant 
by  the  end?  Did  he  here  speak  of  the  end  of 
what  the  disciples  asked  him  ?  No  doubt.  For  if 
they  asked  him  concerning  the  end  of  the  world, 
and  he,  in  his  reply,  spake  of  the  end  of  something 
else,  and  not  of  the  end  of  the  world,  the  answer 
was  calculated  to  deceive.  It  is  evident,  therefore, 
that  when  Jesus  said,  as  has  been  quoted ;  "  the 
end  is  not  yet,"  he  meant  that  the  end  of  the  world, 
of  which  his  disciples  asked  him,  was  not  yet. 

He  proceeds ;  "  For  nation  shall  rise  .against  na- 
tion, and  kingdom  against  kingdom ;  and  there 
shall  be  famines  and  pestilences,  and  earthquake?  in 
divers  places.  All  these  are  the  beginning  of  sor- 
rows. Then  shall  they  deliver  you  up  to  be  afflict- 
ed, and  shall  kill  you  :  and  ye  shall  be  hated  of  all 
nations  for  my  name's  sake.  And  then  shall  many 
be  offended,  and  shall  betray  one  another,  and  shall 
hate  one  another.  And  many  false  prophets  shall 
rise,  and  shall  deceive  many.  A  no!,  because  ini* 


280 

(juity  shall  abound,  the  love  of  many  shall  wax 
cold.  But  he  that  shall  endure  unto  the  end,  the 
same  shall  be  saved."  The  end  of  what  ?  Answer, 
the  end  of  the  world,  of  \\hich  the  disciples  asked 
him. 

"  And  this  gospel  of  the  kingdom  shall  be  preach- 
ed in  all  the  world,  for  a  witness  unto  all  nations; 
and  then  shall  the  end  corne." 

The  end  of  what?  The  end  of  the  world.  Ob- 
serve, the  disciples  asked  Jesus  concerning  the  end 
of  the  world,  and  he  replies  to  their  query.  He 
speaks  of  the  emdthren  times.  He  first  says ;  "  the 
end  is  not  yet ;"  secondly,  he  says ;  "  He  that  en- 
dureth  unto  the  end,  the  same  shall  be  saved ;  and 
lastly,  he  says;  "  then  shall  the  end  come."  And 
as  the  end  of  the  world  was  the  only  end  spoken  of, 
we  feel  safe  in  believing  that  Jesus  meant  to  speak 
of  what  his  disciples  meant  by  the  end  of  the 
world. 

A  hope  is  entertained  that  the  attention  of  the 
hearer  will  be  successful  in  obtaining  a  clear  un- 
derstanding of  what  is  here  meant  by  the  end  of  the 
world.  We  have  been  in  the  habit,  by  means  of 
our  early  education,  of  supposing  that  by  the  end 
of  the  world  here  mentioned,  the  destruction  of  the 
natural  world  was  intended.  And  this  is  now  the 
general  opinion.  Religious  people  suppose  that 
the  end  of  the  world,  of  which  mention  is  made  in 
this  chapter,  means  the  end  of  this  material  system. 
And  they  expect  that  the  earth,  the  sun,  and  the 
moon,  will  be  literally  destroyed.  The  speaker 
is  apprehensive  that  many  now  in  this  congregation 
have  these  views ;  and  consequently  suppose  that 
when  Jesus  said ;  "Then  shall  the  end  come,  he 
meant  the  same  thing  as  has  been  held  up  by  our 
Christian  divines,  and  preached  upon  so  much,  and 
made  a  common  topic  in  those  frequent  discourses, 
the  objects  of  which  were  to  terrify  people  with 
the  thoughts  of  seeing  the  earth  burn  up,  the  dead 


281 

coming  out  of  their  graves  to  judgment,  and  the 
wicked  plunged  into  hell. 

My  dear  friends,  if  these  are  your  views,  your 
servant  feels  no  disposition  to  censure  you,  he  knows 
too  well  the  effects  of  tradition  to  blame  any  one 
for  these  notions  ;  but  you  are  now  called  on  to  ex- 
ercise that  reason  which  distinguishes  us  from  beasts, 
and  constitutes  us  the  favoured  subjects  of  a  divine 
revelation,  so  that  you  may  be  able  to  form  a  cor- 
rect judgment  of  the  subject  now  before  you.  Let 
us  carefully  proceed  with  the  testimony  of  Jesus, 
and  endeavour  to  learn  the  events  with  which  he 
connects  and  designates  the  end  of  the  world. 

"When  ye,  there  fore,  shall  see  the  abomination  of 
desolation,  spoken  of  by  Daniel  the  prophet,  stand 
in  the  holy  place,  then  let  them  which  be  in  Judea 
flee  into  the  mountains."  When  does  Jesus  direct 
them  that  be  in  Judea  to  flee  into  the  mountains? 
Answer,  at  the  end  of  the  world.  But  if  the  end 
of  the  world  mean  what  tradition  has  taught  us, 
why  should  those  that  may  be  in  Judea  at  the  time, 
when  this  earth  is  to  be  dissolved,  and  all  the  dead 
raised  to  judgment,  flee  into  the  mountains  ? 

But  we  proceed.  "Let  him  which  is  on  the  house 
top  not  come  down  to  take  any  thing  put  of  his 
house  ;  neither  let  him  which  is  in  the  field  return 
back  to  take  his  clothes.  And  woe  unto  them  that 
are  with  child,  and  to  them  that  give  suck  in  those 
days!  But  pray  ye  that  your  flight  be  not  in  the 
winter,  neither  on  the  sabbath  day  ;  for  then  shall 
be  great  tribulation,  such  as  was  not  since  the  be- 
ginning of  the  world  to  this  time,  no  nor  ever  shall 
be."  We  have  been  told  that  there  will  be^  an 
eternity  of  trouble,  after  the  end  of  the  world,  infi- 
nitely greater  than  any  that  ever  preceeded  ;  but 
here  in  the  description  of  the  end  of  the  world,  by 
Jesus  himself,  he  says,  there  shall  never  be  such  a 
time  of  trouble  afterward. 

By  the  peculiar  discription  to  which  we  have 
attended,  there  is  no  reason  to  doubt  that  the  Sav- 
iour was  giving  an  account  of  the  destruction  of 
36 


282 

Jerusalem  by  the  Kornans.  And  it  is  evident,  be- 
yond all  controversy,  that  all  that  was  meant  by 
the  end  of  the  world,  was  the  end  of  the  Jewish 
polity,  and  the  destruction  of  the  nation,  the  city 
and  temple.  That  the  hearer  may  he  further  sat- 
isfied, that  by  "  the  end  of  the  world''  is  not  meant 
what  our  tradition  has  taught,  we  notice  the  words 
of  St.  Paul  to  the  Hebrews.  Speaking  of  Jesus  he 
says ;  "  But  now  once,  in  the  end  of  the  world, 
hath  he  appeared  to  put  away  sin  by  the  sacrifice 
of  himself."  The  end  of  the  world  here  meant  was 
the  end  of  the  Levitical  priesthood. 

The  Saviour  further  says  ;  "  Immediately  after 
the  tribulation  of  those  days  shall  the  sun  be  dark- 
ened, and  the  moon  shall  not  give  her  light,  and  the 
stars  shall  fall  from  heaven,  and  the  powers  of  the 
heaven  shall  be  shaken  :  and  then  shall  appear  the 
sign  of  the  son  of  man  in  heaven;  and  then  shall 
all  the  tribes  of  the  earth  mourn,  and  they  shall  see 
the  son  of  man  coming  in  the  clouds  of  heaven 
with  power  and  great  glory.  And  he  shall  send 
his  angels  with  a  great  sound  of  a  trumpet,  and 
they  shall  gather  together  his  elect  from  the  four 
winds,  from  one  end  of  heaven  to  the  other."  Here 
carefully  observe  that  Jesus  speaks  of  the  sign  of 
his  coming,  and  also  of  his  coming  with  power  and 
great  glory  ;  and  of  his  sending  forth  his  angels,  &c. 
Let  us  here  ask  the  question,  how  we  shall  time  the 
event  here  spoken  of?  Has  this  event  ever  taken 
place  ?  Tradition  says,  No,  but  it  will  take  place 
at  the  disolution  of  this  earth.  But  what  right 
have  we  to  time  this  event  ?  If  Jesus  did  not  lime 
it,  have  we  a  right  to  ?  And  if  Jesus  has  timed  it, 
have  we  a  right  to  alter  the  time  ?  Hear  his  word?. 

"Now  learn  a  parable  of  the  fig  tree:  When 
his  branches  is  yet  tender,  and  putteth  forth  leaves, 
ye  know  that  summer  is  nigh;  so  likewise  ye, 
when  ye  shall  see  all  these  things,  know  that  it  is 
near,  even  at  the  doors.  Verily  I  say  unto  you, 
this  generation  shall  not  pass  till  all  these  things  be 
fulfilled.  Heaven  and  earth  shall  pass  away,  but 
my  word  shall  not  pass  away.'' 


* 


283 

By  this  plain,  undoubtful  testimony  of  the  divine 
teacher  we  are  authorised  to  believe  that  the  time 
of  which  he  spake,  when  he  should  come  in  his 
glory  with  his  angels  was  in  the  generation  in  which 
he  lived.  He  had  just  before  told  the  Pharisees 
that  all  the  righteous  blood  shed  upon  the  earth 
should  come  upon  them,  and  was  particular  in  say- 
ing ;  «  Verily,  I  say  unto  you,  all  these  things  shall 
come  upon  this  generation.''  And  now  when  speak- 
ing of  his  coming  in  his  glory  with  his  angels,  he 
says ;  "  Verily  I  say  unto  you,  this  generation  shall 
not  pass  till  all  these  things  be  fulfilled." 

The  Saviour  proceeds  to  inform  his  disciples, 
that  the  particular  day  and  hour  of  his  coming 
were  known  to  his  Father  only  ;  and  in  the  whole 
of  the  remaining  part  of  the  chapter  he  refers  the 
events  of  which  he  speaks  to  the  time  he  had  before 
designated  and  confined  to  that  generation.  This 
24th  chapter  ends  with  an  account  of  what  should 
be  done  to  an  evil  servant,  who  should  "  say  in  his 
heart,  my  lord  delayeth  his  corning ;  and  shall  be- 
gin to  smite  his  fellow  servants,  and  to  eat  and 
to  drink  with  the  drunken  :  the  lord  of  that  ser- 
vant shall  come  in  a  dayr  when  be  looketh  not  for 
him,  and  in  an  hour  that  he  is  not  aware  of,  and 
shall  cut  him  asunder,  and  appoint  him  his  portion 
with  the  hypocrites :  there  shall  be  weeping  and 
gnashing  of  teeth."  As  he  had  just  before,  in  his 
address  to  the  Scribes  and  Pharisees,  called  them 
hypocrites,  and  denounced  the  judgments  of  heaven 
upon  them,  he  now  informed  his  disciples,  that  if 
any  who  professed  to  be  his  servants,  should  get  off 
their  watch,  should  say,  my  Lord  delayeth  his  com- 
ing, and  should  eat  and  drink  with  the  drunken, 
and  abuse  his  fellow  servants,  he  should  be  placed 
among  the  hypocrites  on  whom  he  had  denounced 
those  judgments. 

The  25lh  chapter  begins  with  the  word  then,  by 
which  it  is  evident  that  the  speaker  meant  to  refer 
to  the  time  he  had  before  designated.  "Then 
shall  the  kingdom  of  heaven  be  likened  unto  ten 


284 

virgins."  When  did  the  Saviour  say  the  kingdom 
of  heaven  should  be  likened  unto  ten  virgins  ? 
Answer,  at  the  time  when  those  judgments  should 
come  on  Jerusalem  and  on  the  Jews,  of  which  he 
had  spoken  ;  all  of  which  he  confined  to  that  gen- 
eration. When  he  should  come  in  the  clouds  of 
heaven,  with  power  and  great  glory,  and  send  his 
angels  forth  to  gather  together  his  elect ;  all  which 
he  confined  to  that  generation. 

This  parable  of  the  virgins  was  designed  to  re- 
present the  difference  there  would  be  between  the 
situations  of  those  Jews  who  foolishly  rejected  the 
Saviour,  and  who  abused  his  Apostles,  and  those 
who  believed  in  him,  and  administered  to  the  ne- 
cessities of  the  promulgators  of  his  doctrine. 

The  parable  of  the  talents,  which  follows  this  of 
the  ten  virgins,  represents  the  same  thing,  and  so 
does  this  of  the  sheep  and  the  goats. 

This  passage  begins  thus ;  "  When  the  son  of 
man  shall  come  in  his  glory,  and  all  the  holy  angels 
with  him,then  shall  he  sit  upon  the  throne  of  his  glory; 
and  before  him  shall  be  gathered  all  nations;  and 
he  shall  separate  them  one  from  another,  as  a  shep- 
herd divideth  his  sheep  from  the  goats,"  &c. 

Here.be  cautious,  <c  When  the  son  of  man  shall 
come,"  &c.  When  was  this?  Look  back  to  the 
30th  verse  of  the  24th  chapter.  "  And  they  shall 
see  the  son  of  man  coming  in  the  clouds  of  heaven 
with  power  and  great  glory,"  &c.  And  then  ob- 
serve that  the  Saviour  took  all  possible  pains  to 
certify  his  disciples  that  all  these  things  should 
take  place  in  tjiat  generation. 

The  whole  subject  is  perfectly  plain.  In  the  24th 
chapter  Jesus  spake  of  his  coming  in  his  glory  with 
h?s  angels,  and  also  of  the  judgment  that  he  would 
then  execute  on  his  enemies ;  and  here  in  the  2/ith 
chapter,  he  represents  these  things  and  events  by 
the  parable  of  the  virgins,  that  of  the  talents,  and 
this  of  the  sheep  and  goats;  and  by  keeping  the  con- 
nection of  the  subject  it  appears  evident  beyond  all 
doubt,  that  this  parable  alluded  to  the  events  which 
took  place  in  the  generation  in  which  he  lived. 


285 

But  if  this  subject  had  been  left  in  any  respect 
doubtful,  inspecting  the  time  of  this  judgment,  yet 
other  passages  of  our  Saviour's  testimony  respect- 
ing the  same  event  are  perfectly  sufficient  to  settle 
the  question  and  to  remove  all  doubts. 

See  Matt.  xvi.  27,  28,  "  For  the  son  of  man  shall 
come  in  the  glory  of  his  Father,  with  his  angels; 
and  then  he  shall  reward  every  man  according  to 
his  works.  Verily  I  say  unto  you,  there  be  some 
standing  here  which  shall  not  taste  of  death,  till 
they  see  the  son  of  man  coming  in  his  kingdom  " 
Mark  viii.  38.  ix.  1.  "  Whosoever,  therefore,  shall 
be  ashamed  of  me,  and  of  my  words  in  this  adul- 
terious  and  sinful  generation,  of  him  also  shall  the 
son  of  man  be  ashamed,  when  he  cometh  in  the 
glory  of  his  Father,  with  the  holy  angels.  And  he 
said  unto  them,  verily  I  say  unto  you,  that  there 
be  some  of  them  that  stand  here,  which  shall  not 
taste  of  death  till  they  have  seen  the  kingdom  of 
God  come  with  power."  Luke  ix.  26,  27,  «  For 
whosoever  shall  be  ashamed  of  me,  and  of  my 
words,  of  him  shall  the  son  of  man  be  ashamed, 
when  he  shall  come  in  his  own  glory,  and  in  his 
Father's,  and  of  the  holy  angels.  But  I  tell  you 
of  a  truth,  there  be  some  standing  here,  which  shall 
not  taste  of  death  till  they  see  the  kingdom  of  God." 

These  passages  fully  and  clearly  show,  that  the 
coming  of  Christ  in  his  glory  with  his  angels,  to  re- 
ward every  man  according  to  his  works,  was  an 
event  which  took  place  in  the  generation  that  lived 
at  the  time  that  Jesus  was  on  the  earth.  And  we 
have  another  direct  proof  of  this  fact  recorded  in 
Matt.  x.  22,  23,  «  And  ye  shall  be  hated  of  all  men 
for  my  name's  sake;  but  he  that  endureth  to  the 
end  shall  be  saved.  But  when  they  persecute  you 
in  this  city,  flee  ye  into  another :  for  verily  I  say 
unto  you,  ye  shall  not  have  gone  over  the  cities  of 
Israel  till  the  son  of  man  be  come.'' 

The  time  of  this  judgment  being  thus  settled,  let 
u«  inquire  what  accusation  was  brought  against 
those  on  the  left  hand  for  which  they  were  sentenc- 


286 

ed  to  everlasting  punishment?  The  accusation 
runs  thus;  "  I  was  an  hungred,  and  ye  gave  me  no 
meat :  I  was  thirsty,  arid  ye  gave  me  no  drink  :  I 
was  a  stranger,  and  ye  took  me  not  in:  naked, and 
ye  clothed  me  not :  sick,  and  in  prison,  and  ye  vi- 
sited me  not."  The  accused  ask  when  these  things 
took  place  ;  and  are  told  ;  "  Inasmuch  as  ye  did  it 
not  to  one  of  the  least  of  these,  ye  did  it  not  unto 
me."  Notice  here,  that  Jesus  was  delivering  this 
whole  discourse  to  his  disciples  alone,  on  the  mount 
of  Olives.  By  these,  therefore,  it  is  evident  that  he 
meant  his  disciples ;  and  he  gave  them  to  under- 
stand, that  the  persecutions  that  they  should  suffer, 
he  would  reckon  as  done  to  himself.  And  on  the 
other  hand,  the  righteous  are  justified  for  having 
done  those  things  to  the  disciples  of  Christ,  which 
the  wicked  had  neglected  to  do;  and  he  accepts 
these  acts  of  kindness  as  done  to  himself. 

We  will  here  ask  those,  who  apply  this  subject 
to  the  future  state,  whether  they  will  allow  that  we 
are  to  obtain  an  immortal  state  of  endless  felicity 
for  the  performance  of  our  duty,  in  administering 
to  the  wants  of  our  fellow  creatures?  The  fact  is, 
after  they  have  made  such  an  application  of  this 
scripi  lire,  they  do  not  believe  that  our  immortal  state 
of  happiness  is  the  reward  of  our  good  works  here. 

But  we  must  attend  to  the  argument  of  our  op- 
posers,  who  contend,  that  the  words  of  this  text  ne- 
cessarily mean  an  endless  duration. 

Everlasting  punishment,  and  life  eternal.  They 
are  critical  to  observe,  that  the  words  everlasting 
and  eternal  come  from  the  same  word  in  the  Greek 
testament,  and  they,  therefore,  infer  that  the  dura- 
tion of  punishment  must  be  as  long  as  the  duration 
of  happiness  in  the  future  world.  But  they  assume 
the  application  of  these  words  to  a  future  state, 
without  even  an  attempt  to  show,  that,  such  an  ap- 
plication is  justified  by  the  testimony  of  the  Sav- 
iour. This  application  we  have  proved  to  be  erro- 
neous ;  which  necessarily  applies  the  word  render- 
ed everlasting  and  eternal  to  what  belongs  to  the 


287 

present  state.  And  that  this  application  is  correct 
we  prove  as  follows  :  The  word  in  Greek,  render- 
ed everlasting  and  eternal  in  our  language,  is 
aioonion,  which  is  an  adjective.  The  noun  occurs 
in  the  question  which  the  disciples  asked  the  divine 
master,  in  the  3d  verse  of  the  24th  chapter :  "  Tell 
us,  when  shall  these  things  be?  and  what  shall  be 
the  sign  of  thy  cotning,and  of  theendofthe(az'007ios) 
world  ?''  Now  we  have  proved  that  the  end  of  the 
aioonoSy  in  the  24th  chapter  meant  the  end  of  the 
Jewish  dispensation.  It  follows  therefore,  by  fair 
analogy,  that  if  the  aioonos,  which  came  to  an  end 
in  the  generation  that  Jesus  lived  on  the  earth, 
meant  a  dispensation  or  order  of  things,  that  which 
followed  meant  the  same  (viz.)  a  dispensation  or 
order  of  things. 

The  plain  simple  truth  is  this;  The  dispensation 
and  order  of  the  Jewish  economy  ended,  and  the 
gospel  dispensation  and  economy  commenced ;  and 
so  did  the  dispensation  of  that  long  and  severe  judg- 
ment on  the  house  of  Israel,  under  which  they  have 
groaned  until  this  day. 

We  therefore  render  the  text  thus ;  "  These  shall 
go  away  into  a  dispensation  of  punishment,  but  the 
righteous  into  a  dispensation  of  life,  or  into  the 
gospel  dispensation.  This  gospel  dispensation  or 
aioonos,  is  mentioned  by  the  Saviour,  in  Ma^tt.xxviii. 
20,  "  Where  Jesus  sent  forth  his  disciples  to 
preach,  and  said  to  them;  Lo,  I  am  with  you  al- 
ways even  unto  the  end  of  the  (aioonos)  world." 

The  hearer  is  referred  to  PARKHURST'S  Greek  Lex- 
icon, where  on  this  word  he  will  find  the  following  ; 
"  An  age,  period,  periodical  dispensation  of  divine 
Providence.  In  Mat.  xxiv.  3,  it  evidently  refers  to 
the  Jewish  age,  or  age  under  the  Mosaic  law.  (See 
Whitby,  Doddridge,  and  Macknight  on  that  text.) 
But  in  Matt,  xxviii.  20,  it  seems  plainly  to  denote 
the  age  under  the  Messiah." 

When  this  subject  is  seen  in  its  own  clear  light, 
when  we  look  at  it  with  the  eye  of  unprejudiced 
candor,  and  view  it  in  its  relation  to  the  threaten- 


ings  denounced  by  Moses  on  the  rebellious  house 
of  Israel,  we  see  thai  Jesus  denounced  on  the  Jews 
no  other  punishment  than  such  as  Moses  and  the 
Prophets  had  foretold.  If  the  hearer  will  examine 
the  26th  chapter  of  Leviticus,  the  28th  of  Deuter- 
onomy, the  4th  of  Lamentations,  and  compare  them 
with  the -24th  and  25th  of  Matthew,  he  will  be  sat- 
isfied that  neither  Moses,  the  Prophets,  nor  Jesus 
spake  any  thing  of  punishing;  the  house  of  Israel 
in  a  future  state  of  existence;  but  he  will  be  con- 
vinced that  not  only  Moses  and  the  Prophets,  but 
Jesus  likewise  did  denounce  the  most  awful  and 
distressing  calamities  on  the  Jews,  that  we  can  pos- 
sibly conceive  of  human  sufferings  in  this  world  of 
misery  and  woe. 

When  Pilate,  being  convinced  of  the  innocence  of  Jesus,  would 
have  released  him,  all  the  people  answered, saying,  "His  blood 
be  on  us  and  on  our  children."  They  pronounced  the  dreadful 
imprecation  and  were  taken  at  their  word.  God  has  visited  the. 
iniquity  of  the  fathers  upon  the  children  of  them  who  have  hated 
him,  and  has  executed  on  the  wicked  the  judgments  which  were 
foretold  by  the  prophets. 

But  all  this  seems  nothing  in  the  eye  of  that  blind  superstition, 
which  can  see  no  punishment  for  sin  in  this  world,  and  which  ap- 
plies the  threatenings  to  a  future  state.  But  in  the  judgment  of 
reason,  and  in  the  light  of  divine  revelation,  the  punishment* 
which  have  been  inflicted  on  the  Jews  for  the  wickedness  with 
which  scripture  and  history  charge  them,  have  been  according  to 
their  sins. 

As  to  the  argument,  that  punishment  must  be  as  durable  as  hap- 
piness, it  not  only  seems  to  be  destitute  of  any  evidence,  but  re- 
pugnant to  reason.  Punishment  is  designed  to  reclaim  from  sin, 
that  happiness  may  succeed  ;  but  if  punishment  bo  endless  it  cer- 
tainly is  the  cnfl  of  divine  Providence,  and  not  the  means  by  which 
be  bring?  a  more  glorious  end  to  pass. 

To  conclude  :  my  friends,  the  dealings  of  God  with  his  child- 
ren in  past  ages,  should  be  regarded  by  us  as  examples  of  his 
faithfulness  to  his  promises  and  his  threatenings.  As  our  heav- 
enly Father  has  always  rewarded'the  righteous,  and  punished  the 
wicked  in  a  way  to  make  his  approbation  of  the  former  and  his 
disapprobation  of  the  latter  evident  to  every  observing  mind, 
let  us  be  wise  for  ourselves  and  for  our  children.  If  we  approve 
the  opportunity  which  God  has  offered  us,  to  throw  off  error  and 
-superstition,  and  to  receive  Christ  and  his  pure  religion,  we  shall 
enter  into  life,  and  our  children  after  us,  in  room  of  inheriting 
from  us  error  and  darkness,  will  bless  their  fathers  and  their 
mothers,  who  resolved  to  throw  off  the  doctrine  of  despair,  and 
to  espouse  the  hope  of  the  gospel  of  God  our  Saviour. 


;/  No.  19.  :;^> 

LECTURE  SERMON, 

DELIVERED  AT  THE 

SECOND  UNIVERSALIST  MEETING,  IN  BOSTON, 
APRIL  11,  1819. 


BY  HOSEA  BALLOU,  PASTOR. 

Published  Semi-Monthly  by  Henry  Bowen,  Devonshire-street. 

PROVERBS  xi.  31. 

"  Behold,  the  righteous  shall  be  recompensed  in  the  earth  ;  much  more 
the  wicked  and  the  sinner." 

AMONG  the  reasons  for  calling  your  attention  at 
this  time,  to  the  consideration  of  this  subject,  the 
following  may  be  named  : 

1.  This  passage  having  been  made  the  subject  of 
one  of  our  discourses  on  the  1st  sabbath  of  Novem- 
ber last,  a  number,  who  heard  the  discourse  at  that 
time,  have  since  requested  that  it  might  have  a 
place  among  the  lectures.    And 

2.  This  subject  seems  so  nearly  allied  to  our  last, 
that  it  is  thought  advisable  to  place  it  next  in  course, 
that  it  may  operate  in  some  measure  as  a  farther 
illustration  of  it. 

Our  text  gives  evident  support  to  the  following 
particular  subjects : 

1.  There  is  righteousness  in  the  earth. 

2.  There  is  wickedness  in  the  earth. 

3.  There  is  a  sure  recompense  for  righteousness. 

4.  There  is  a  sure  recompense  for  wickedness. 

5.  The  recompense  of  righteousness  is  in  the  earth. 

6.  The  recompense  of  wickedness  is  in  the  earth. 

37 


290 

These  particulars  may  be  said  to  be  fully  prov- 
ed by  the  text;  for  there  ean  be  none  righteous, 
unless  there  be  righteousness,  and  there  can  be 
none  wicked,  unless  there  be  wickedness  ;  nor  can 
righteousness  be  recompensed  where  there  is  none, 
nor  can  wickedness  be  recompensed  where  it  does 
not  exist. 

The  hearer's  attention  is  now  invited  to  an  in- 
quiry, which  will  be  directed  to  ascertain  how  to 
make  a  proper  distinction  between  the  righteous 
and  the  wicked.  The  way  in  which  this  subject  is 
generally  held,  supposes  that  there  is  one  class  of 
men  who  are  exclusively  righteous,  and  another 
class  exclusively  wicked.  Hence  we  hear  so  much 
about  two  classes  of  mankind.  Christian  preach- 
ers and  commentators  have  filled  their  sermons 
and  their  volumes  with  lengthy  and  intricate  dis- 
criptions  of  these  two  classes  of  people.  If  we  say 
any  thing  of  the  divine  favour  to  all  mankind,  if 
we  express  the  least  hope  that  God  will  have  com- 
passion on  all  men,  if  we  bring  plain  scripture  to 
testify  and  say,  "  The  Lord  is  good  to  all,  and  his 
tender  mercies  are  over  all  his  works,"  we  are  se- 
verely rebuked  by  those  who  call  themselves  righ- 
teous, who  tell  us  that  the  scriptures  every  where 
make  two  classes  of  people,  the  righteous  and  the 
wicked. 

That  the  scriptures  speak  of  two  characters  is 
freely  acknowledged ;  but  that  they  every  where 
or  even  any  where  give  support  to  the  notion  that 
one  class  of  mankind  is  exclusively  righteous,  and 
another  class  exclusively  wicked  is  by  no  means 
acknowledged. 

It  is  worthy  of  special  notice  that  the  testimony 
of  scripture  agrees  with  matter  of  fact  For  in- 
stance, scriptur*  says;  "While  the  earth  remain- 
eth,  seed  time  and  harvest,  and  cold  and  heat,  and 
summer  and  winter,  and  day  and  night,  shall  not 
cease."  Now  the  matter  of  fact  testified  by  the 

f 


291 

passage  quoted,  perfectly  agrees  with  what  we 
know  by  experience  to  be  true.  But  should  we 
find  that  the  scriptures  any  where  say,  that  while 
the  earth  remaineth  there  shall  be  a  certain  class  of 
people,  frotn  generation  to  generation  that  shall  be 
exclusively  righteous,  and  another  class  exclusively 
wicked,  could  we  say  that  this  is  evidently  true  ? 
could  we  say  that  these  two  classes  have  always 
been  as  distinguishable  as  seed  time  and  harvest, 
as  cold  and  heat,  as  summer  and  winter,  and  as  day 
and  night  ? 

My  friends,  look  round  you,  do  you  know  who 
these  righteous  are  ?  Can  you  distinguish  this  righ- 
teous class  from  the  wicked  class  as  easily  as  you 
can  distinguish  day  from  night  ?  Who  are  they  ? 
Are  they  that  company  of  meek,  humble  believers 
in  Jesus,  who  pray  as  the  divine  master  taught 
them ;  "  Our  Father  who  art  in  heaven — forgive  us 
our  sins  ?"  If  they  are  not  sinners  why  do  they 
pray  that  their  sins  may  be  forgiven  ?  - 

On  the  other  hand,  who  are  the  wicked?  Are 
they  that  company  of  profane  sailors,  who  appear 
so  careless  about  religion  ?  But  these  men,  of  all 
grades  of  society  are  acknowledged  to  be  the  most 
generous.  They  will  impart  to  misery  the  last 
dollar  of  the  scanty  wages  for  which  they  have  risk- 
ed their  lives  on  the  uncertain  deep,  while  the 
wealthy  Christian,  who  goes  to  the  sanctuary  in 
splendour,  with  great  circumspection,  gives  to  pov- 
erty a  shilling.  But  who  are  the  wicked  ?  Are 
they  such  as  make  no  profession  of  religion,  have 
subscribed  to  no  creed,  joined  no  church  ?  But 
where  are  these  men,  and  what  are  they  about 
when  their  neighbours  are  sick,  or  are  in  want,  or 
are  in  distress  ?  Are  they  then  carelessly  loiter- 
ing behind  our  high  professors  of  religion,  who  are 
administering  all  needed  assistance  to  the  distress- 
ed ?  Where  are  they  when  the  devouring  element 
turns  women  and  children  into  the  streets  ?  Do 


292 

they  idly  fold  their  arms  and  look  on,  while  the 
righteous  put  out  the  fire  ?  What  do  these  wick- 
ed people  do  when  their  country  is  invaded  by  a 
plundering  foe,  and  all  that  is  dear  to  man  lies  at 
stake  ?  Do  they  then  sleep  on  beds  of  down, 
while  the  saints  watch  in  the  camp  ?  The  fact  is, 
if  we  are  willing  to  acknowledge  the  truth,  there  is 
no  class  of  people  who  are  so  righteous  that  there 
is  no  need  of  reformation ;  nor  is  there  a  class 
that  is  in  no  danger  of  growing  worse. 

We  find  the  righteous  and  the  wicked  in  the 
same  individual.  David  says;  "Judge  me,  O 
Lord,  according  to  my  righteousness."  And  again 
he  says;  "The  Lord  rewarded  me  according  to 
my  righteousness."  But  with  what  humility  does 
he  acknowledge  his  sin.  He  says ;  "  Wash  me 
thoroughly  from  mine  iniquity,  and  cleanse  me 
from  my  sin.  For  I  acknowledge  my  transgres- 
sion and  my  sin  is  ever  before  me."  Yes,  in  the 
same  man,  and  at  the  same  time  we  find  the  righte- 
ous and  the  wicked,  "  him  that  serveth  God  and  him 
that  serveth  him  not."  St.  Paul  says  ;  "  With  the 
mind  I  myself  serve  the  law  of  God,  but  with  the 
flesh  the  law  of  sin." 

The  habit  which  professed  Christians  have  so 
long  indulged,  of  thinking  and  speaking  of  the 
wicked,  as  a  class  of  people  distinct  from  them- 
selves, is  a  proof  of  the  depravity  of  their  own  de- 
ceived hearts.  The  publican,  who  dared  not  raise 
his  eyes  toward  heaven,  but  smote  his  breast,  say- 
ing, God  be  merciful  to  me  a  sinner,  was  rather 
justified  than  the  Pharisee,  who  thanked  God  that 
he  was  not  like  other  men. 

The  result  of  a  candid  examination  of  this  par- 
ticular subject  may  be  represented  by  health  and 
sickness.  And  as  this  representation  is  warranted 
by  the  declaration  of  the  Saviour  to  those  who 
thought  they  were  righteous  when  they  were  not, 
it  may  be  the  more  acceptable.  Jesus  said ;  "They 


293 

that  are  whole  need  not  the  physician,  but  they 
that  are  sick."  Now  health  and  sickness  are  so  di- 
rectly opposite,  that  there  is  no  difficulty  in  dis- 
tinguishing one  from  the  other.  But  there  are  ma- 
ny cases  where  it  would  be  difficult  to  determine 
which  of  two  that  are  sick  is  the  most  unwell.  And 
we  may  further  observe  that  there  is  no  such  thing 
as  a  class  of  people  who  are  exclusively  healthy,  or 
a  class  that  is  exclusively  sickly.  ^Those,  who  to 
day  are  in  health  may  be  sick  to  morrow ;  and 
those  who  are  indisposed  to  day  may  be  restored 
and  enjoy  health  to  morrow.  Yes,  and  in  the 
same  person,  and  at  the  same  time  we  may  find  a 
degree  of  health  and  a  degree  of  sickness.  De- 
grees of  health  and  sickness  may  increase  or  de- 
crease, and  the  subjects  may  either  recover,  or  de- 
cline and  die. 

Let  us  in  the  next  place  endeavour  to  ascertain 
the  nature  of  the  recompense  which  the  divine 
economy  awards  to  the  righteous,  and  what  it  is 
designed  for. 

As  we  have  seen  that  there  are  different  degrees 
in  righteousness,  so  we  may  expect  to  'find  that  re- 
wards are  so  varied  as  to  correspond  with  these  dif- 
ferent degrees.  .Again,  we  may  observe  that  in 
some  things  a  man  may  do  that  which  is  right,  and 
receive  a  recompense  accordingly ;  on  the  other 
hand,  the  same  man  may  do  that  which  is  wrong  in 
gome  things  and  be  recompensed  accordingly. 

The  whole  duty  of  man  is  embraced  in  two  di- 
vine requirements.  The  first  requires  us  to  love 
God  with  all  the  heart,  and  the  second  being  like 
unto  the  first,  requires  us  to  love  our  neighbours 
as  ourselves.  On  these  two  commandments,  Jesus 
says,  "  hang  all  the  law  and  the  prophets."  Now 
as  far  as  any  person  loves  God  so  far  is  he  recom- 
pensed, and  no  further.  And  as  far  as  he  loves  his 
neighbour  so  far  he  is  recompensed  in  that  respect, 
and  no  further. 


294 

But  wbat  is  the  recompense  which  the  soul  en- 
joys who  loves  God  ?  Answer,  it  is  God  himself. 
"  God  is  love  ;  and  he  that  dwelleth  in  love,  dwell- 
eth  in  God,  and  God  in  him."  In  an  exact  propor- 
tion to  the  love  which  the  heart  exercises  towards 
God  is  it  recompensed  with  this  richest  of  all  re- 
wards. There  is  no  other  object,  on  which  the 
affections  of  the  heart  can  be  placed,  that-  is  so 
sure  of  returning  a  recompense,  in  all  respects 
equal  to  the  degree  of  love  which  is  exercised. 

Companious  may  love  each  other  mest  tenderly, 
but  by  unavoidable  circumstances  they  may  be  se- 
parated, so  as  to  render  their  affection  even  painful. 
Again,  there  may  be  love  to  creature  objects 
where  no  return  of  affection  is  received.  But  who 
ever  loves  God  cannot  be  separated  from  him,  nor 
can  he  ever  experience  any  want  of  love  in  God. 
The  soul  that  truly  loves  the  divine  Being  IB  bless- 
ed with  the  presence  of  the  object  of  affection. 
There  is  no  place  nor  condition  that  can  exclude 
the  mind  from  this  enjoyment.  *  Though  we  were 
banished  from  the  society  of  man,  if  we  loved  God 
he  would  be  present  with  us ;  would  be  a  well  of 
water  springing  up  into  everlasting  life.  How  of- 
ten do  we  see  Our  brethren  and  sisters  in  the  hour 
of  death,  rejoicing  in  a  present  Saviour,  and  cheer- 
fully resign  life  and  all  earthly  things  for  the  en- 
joyment of  God. 

What  is  this  rich  recompense  designed  for  in  the 
divine  economy  ?  It  is  designed  for  the  only  end 
that  divine  love  can  possibly  have  in  view.  It  is 
to  promote  love  and  enlarge  its  enjoyments  in  the 
soul  that  is  exercised  by  it. 

As  there  are  secondary  cases  in  which  righte- 
ousness manifests  itself,  so  there  are  secondary  re- 
compenses corresponding  with  them.  As  conse- 
quences growing  out  of  love  to  God,  we  notice 
those  virtuous  actions,  and  propriety  of  conduct, 
which  are  attended  with  effects  which  sufficiently 


295 

% 

recompense  and  amply  bless  the  agent  in  his  deeds. 
Who  ever  loves  God,  will  love  truth  ;  he  will  love 
honesty ;  he  will  love  justice  ;  he  will  love  mercy  ; 
he  will  love  wisdom  and  knowledge.  Now  as  he 
loves  these  things  he  will  speak  the  truth ;  he  will 
be  honest ;  he  will  do  justly  ;  he  will  be  merciful ; 
he  will  endeavour  to  acquire  wisdom  and  know- 
ledge, and  he  will  consider  all  these  things  as  dura- 
ble riches  and  righteousness. 

Now  as  these  virtues  are  all  calculated  to  reward 
us  for  all  our  exertions  in  their  principles,  so  it  is 
evident  that  our  recompenses  must  be  according  to 
our  merits.  Accordingly  as  a  man  loves  the  truth, 
and  speaks  the  truth,  he  enjoys  the  divine  sunshine 
in  his  breast;  and  in  addition  to  this  sure  and  ample 
reward  he  gerarally  is  believed  by  others,  and  con- 
fidence is  plared  in  his  word.  In  the  same  propor- 
tion as  a  man  is  Jjonest  in  what  he  does,  he  has  the 
enjoyment  of  bib  own  conscience,  which  is  a  treas- 
ure that  the  honest  man  prizes  far  above  silver  or 
gold.  And  in  addition  to  all  this  he  has  the  satis- 
faction of  being  esteemed  by  others  for  his  honesty, 
which  is  worthy  of  high  estimation. 

Those,  who  do  justly,  love  mercy,  and  walk 
humbly  with  God,  who  seek  for  wisdom  as  for  hid- 
den treasures,  and  find  out  knowledge  of  witty  in- 
ventions, enjoy  a  constant  income  of  moral  and  in- 
tellectual wealth  which  is  far  richer  than  the  revenue 
of  silver,  or  the  merchandise  of  the  most  precious 
spices. 

The  design  of  these  rich  rewards,  in  the  econo- 
my of  the  divine  government,  is  to  induce  moral 
beings  to  labour  with  all  possible  diligence  to  per- 
fect themselves  in  the  love  of  God. 

We  may  now  ask  what  recompense  the  divine 
government  is  pleased  to  render  to  the  wicked,  and 
what  is  the  design  of  such  a  recompense. 

As  wickedness  is  exactly  the  reverse  of  righte- 
ousness, so  the  recompense  of  the  former  must  be 
the  reverse  of  that  of  the  latter. 


296 

If  we  have  no  love  to  God  we  cannot  enjoy  him, 
The  thought  that  he  exists  and  exercises  universal 
dominion,  and  controls  all  things  by  his  Almighty 
power  is  a  source  of  infelicity.  The  soul,  in  room 
of  being  refreshed  with  the  sweet  waters  of  life,is 
suffused  with  anger,  wrath,  strife,  and  bitterness. 
In  the  room  of  peace,  there  is  trouble.  "  The 
wicked  are  like  the  troubled  sea,  when  it  cannot 
rest,  whose  wajters  cast  up  mire  and  dirt  There  ia 
no  peace,  saith  my  God,  to  the  wicked." 

Such  is  the  establishment  of  moral  rectitude  in 
the  human  soul,  by  the  hand  of  our  Maker,  that  our 
reason  is  compelled  to  acknowledge  the  dignity  of 
divine  justice,  the  purity  of  all  the  virtues,  and  the 
excellency  of  righteousness.  But  where  the  affec- 
tions of  the  heart  are  not  devoted  to  these  holy 
qualities,  the  soul  is  forever  under%ondemnation. 
Self  accusation,  self  reproach  gnaw  like  the  vul- 
ture within. 

In  an  exact  proportion  to  the  distance  the  soul 
is  in,  from  that  love  to  God  and  our  neighbour, 
which  is  the  fulness  of  the  divine  requirement,  is 
measured  the  recompense  due  to  the  sinner.  There 
is  tribulation  and  anguish  to  every  soul  of  man 
that  doeth  evil ;  and  this  tribulation  and  anguish 
are  in  proportion  to  the  evil  for  which  they  are  a 
recompense. 

But  why  should  the  divine  government  so  or- 
dain, that  sin  should  be  recompensed  with  so  much 
misery  ?  Why  does  it  not  please  God  to  adminis* 
ter  comfort,  peace,  and  joy  to  the  sinner,  in  his 
sins?  What  is  the  design  of  the  divine  economy 
in  this  thing  ? 

We  may  find  a  solution  of  these  queries  in  our  si- 
militude of  health  and  sickness.  Health  is  the  re- 
ward of  that  kind  of  food,  which  is  nourishment  to 
the  body,  of  that  temperance  and  exercise  which 
our  nature  requires;  while  food  that  is  unwhole- 
some, or  that  is  rendered  injurious  by  art,  together 


297 

with  intemperance,  and  the  want  of  proper  exercise, 
are  recompensed  with  those  natural  disorders  with 
which  the  human  body  is  afflicted.  It  is  necessa- 
rily so  in  the  nature  of  things.  It  seems  impossible 
that  it  should  be  otherwise.  And  it  is  the  certainty 
of  these  consequences,  which  induces  the  prudent 
to  abstain  from  intemperance  and  idleness. 

The  evil  consequences  resulting  from  wrong 
practices,  are  designed,  by  divine  wisdom,  for  the 
same  benevolent  purpose  as  the  good  effects  which 
are  the  recompense  of  doing  well.  When  we  do 
well  we  enjoy  the  pleasant  fruits  of  righteousness,  and 
this  enjoyment  opperates  as  an  inducement  to  con- 
tinue in  well  doing.  On  the  contrary,  when  we  do 
wrong  we  suffer  the  recompense  of  our  error,  and 
this  suffering  is  wisely  appointed  as  a  mean  to 
wean  us  from  that  improper  indulgence  of  inordi- 
nate appetites  and  passions  in  consequence  of  which 
we  suffer,  and  to  warn  us  to  take  heed  to  our  ways. 
The  prophet  Jeremiah,  speaking  to  the  wicked, 
seems  to  express  this  idea  with  great  plainness.  He 
says ;  "  Thine  own  wickedness  shall  correct  thee, 
and  thy  backslidings  shall  reprove  thee." 

In  our  reasoning  on  the  subjects  of  the  recom- 
pensing of  the  righteous,  and  of  rendering  to  the 
wicked  according  to  their  works,  attention  has  been 
paid  more  to  what  we  may  term  the  internal  fruits 
of  righteousness  and  sin,  than  to  outward  blessings 
and  calamities  with  which  divine  Providence  has  in 
all  ages  of  the  world  expressed  his  approbation  of 
righteousness,  and  his  disapprobation  of  sin.  We 
shall  now  contemplate  the  subject  more  generally, 
noticing  some  of  the  divine  promises  and  threaten- 
ings,  connecting  the  subject  with  the  consideration 
of  that  part  of  the  testimony  of  our  text  which  in- 
forms us,  that  the  recompense  of  both  the  righteous 
and  the  wicked  is  in  the  earth. 

It  may  be  proper,  before  we  proceed  further,  to 
apprise  the  hearer,  that  the  arguments  which  are 
38 


298 

to  follow  will  be  found  directed  to  disprove  the 
common  doctrine,  which  teaches  that  those  who  are 
righteous  in  this  state  of  existence,  will  be  recom- 
pensed for  their  righteousness  with  immortality  and 
eternal  life  in  the  future  state  ;  and  that  those  who 
are  sinners  in  this  life  will  be  recompensed  with 
endless  perdition  hereafter.  This  we  feel  fully  au- 
thorised to  undertake  by  the  divine  authority  ex- 
pressed in  many  more  passages  than  can  be  cited 
in  one  sermon  ;  this  authority  is  evidently  express- 
ed in  our  text,  in  that  it  certifies  us  that  both  the 
righteous  and  the  wicked  shall  be  recompensed  in 
the  earth  ;  for  it  surely  seems  unreasonable  to  sup- 
pose, that  they  are  recompensed  here  in  the  earth, 
and  after  this  recompensed  to  all  eternity.  In  fact 
this  idea  is  a  most  palpable  absurdity ;  for  any  thing 
short  of  deserts  is  not  a  recompense  ;  nor  can  that 
which  is  more  than  deserts  be  called  a  recompense. 

With  a  view  to  bring  this  general  subject  before 
the  hearer  in  as  plain  a  manner  as  is  convenient,  let 
a  few  questions  be  asked,  and  let  reason  and  exper- 
ience answer  them. 

1.  In  a  state  like  this,  in  which  we  are  possessed 
of  inclinations,  passions,  and  appetites,  which,  if  not 
properly  chastened,  duly  restrained,  and  wisely 
governed,  will  most  assuredly  lead  us  into  sin,  in  or- 
der to  influence  the  mind,  and  bring  its  fortitude 
into  proper  action,  and  the  inclinations  into  the 
right  channel  by  the  hope  of  a  favourable  recom- 
pense, is  it  best  to  place  this  recompense  in  this 
present  life,  or  in  a  future  state  ?  Professors  of  re- 
ligion in  general,  and  even  preachers  contend, that 
unless  the  recompense  for  well  doing  is  in  a  future 
state,  virtue  is  not  worth  pursuing,  as  there  is  not 
in  virtue  itself  and  in  its  good  consequences  in  this 
life  a  sufficient  reward  for  its  duties.  The  question 
now  before  us  inquires  whether  it  would  not  better 
secure  the  object  to  have  the  recompense  in  this 
life  ?  In  favour  of  its  being  here  may  be  urged. 


299 

that  all  objects  that  are  calculated  to  influence  the 
human  rnind,  have  their  powers  increased  by  their 
proximity  to  us,  and  deminished  as  they  are  placed 
more  remote.  Man  is  so  constituted  that  he  thinks 
more  of  his  present  necessities  than  he  does  of  what 
he  may  want  in  some  future  time. 

If  you  wish  to  hire  labourers  into  your  service, 
you  can  more  readily  obtain  them  by  promising 
them  their  pay  every  setting  sun,  than  if  you  pro- 
pose paying  them  ten  or  twenty  years  hence.  If 
your  neighbour,  or  even  your  minister  should  tell 
you,  that  if  you  wish  to  obtain  faithful  labourers, 
you  must  by  no  means  promise  them  immediate 
pay,  but  promise  it  as  long  hence  as  will  possibly 
suit  your  conveniences ;  and  furthermore,  you  must 
be  careful  when  they  are  labouring  for  you,  to  al- 
low them  as  little  refreshment  and  rest  as  possibly 
will  keep  them  alive,  or  they  will  leave  you,  would 
you  think  the  advice  was  any  evidence  of  the  wisdom 
and  experience  of  him  who  gave  it  ?  No,  you  would 
not.  And  though  you  might  possibly  think  your 
advisor  meant  well,  being  ignorant,  you  would  not 
follow  the  advice. 

Why  then,  my  friends,  should  we  believe,  that 
divinq  wisdom,  with  an  intention  to  engage  us  in 
the  service  of  virtue,  should  place  its  reward  in  a 
future  state  of  existence,  in  a  world  we  know  noth- 
ing of,  from  which  no  traveller  ever  returned  ? — 
Why  should  we  believe  that  the  wisdom  of  God, 
with  a  design  to  make  us  faithful  in  his  service, 
should  carefully  make  this  service  extremely  toil- 
some, and  allow  us  no  rest  nor  refreshment  that  is 
comfortable  during  our  labours  ? 

2.  With  a  view  to  operate  on  the  mind  by  fear, 
and  to  restrain  the  passions  by  apprehensions  of 
danger,  where  would  wisdom  place  the  dreaded 
object,  in  this  life,  or -in  a  future  state  ? 

In  favour  of  its  being  here,  and  before  our  eyes, 
may  be  urged,  that  any  terrific  object  has  a  greater 


300 

influence  on  the  mind  being  near  and  visible,  than 
when  remote  and  invisible.  Even  a  coward  will 
boast  of  his  courage,  and  will  dare  the  foe,  while 
he  lies  at  a  distance  and  out  of  sight,  but  when  llie 
hostile  band  presents  the  glittering  armory  that 
dazzles  his  eyes,  his.  weak  heart  melts  like  wax  be- 
fore the  sun.  Why  then  should  terror  be  placed 
at  a  distance  and  out  of  sight  in  order  to  have  the 
greatest  effect  on  the  mind  ?  If  it  be  necessary  to 
excite  our  fear,  that  we  believe  in  the  common  doc- 
trine of  a  burning  lake  in  a  future  state,  would  it 
not  add  an  incalculable  influence  to  the  object  if 
our  terrific  preachers  could  draw  away  the  curtain 
and  present  the  horrible  scene  to  our  open  vision-? 
As  they  take  great  satisfaction  in  describing  to  the 
imagination  of  parents  their  children  in  hell,  would 
not  the  effect  be  still  more  powerful  if  the  eye 
could  behold  the  fiery  pit,  arid  see  the  beloved 
children  in  the  flames  ?  But  all  this  must  be  car- 
riedon  in  a  secret  place,  out  of  sight  of  all  the  living; 
and  none  to  report  it  to  us,  only  those  who  know 
nothing  about  it. 

3-  Is  it  not  a  most  evident  fact,  that  for  tempor- 
al enjoyments,  enjoyments  of  this  life,  men  will  ex- 
ert their  utmost  powers,  face  the  greatest  dangers, 
and  surmount  all  surmountable  difficulties  ?  For 
these  enjoyments  the  husbandman  labours  from 
early  morn  until  the  shades  of  night  cover  him. 
And  this  he  repeats  day  after  day,  week  after  week, 
month  after  month,  year  after  year,  until  he  wears 
out  his  strength  and  his  days.  Ask  him  why  he 
thus  toils  ;  will  he  inform  you,  either  that  he  ex- 
pects an  immortal  state  of  bliss  hereafter  as  a  re- 
ward ;  or  that  he  fears>eternal  torments  if  he  should 
quit  his  field?  No,  he  will  point  to  his  wife  and 
to  his  children,  and  say ;  it  is  for  them  I  labour, 
for  them  I  toil,  and  the  love  I  bear  them  makes  my 
labour  easy  and  my  burden  light ;  yea  it  is  a  pleas- 
ure and  content  is  my  companion. 


301 

Does  not  the  mariner  risk  his  life  on  the  seas, 
does  he  not  encounter  the  most  inclement  weather, 
put  his  face  to  the  violence  of  the  storm  for 
the  sake  of  the  comforts  and  luxuries  of  life?  For 
the  enjoyments  of  this  temporal  state,  we  see  the 
warrior,  far  from  his  family,  encountering  the  fa- 
tigues of  marches  and  counter  marches  ;  lying  upon 
the  cold  damp  earth ;  his  food  coarse  and  often 
loathsome,  and  when  the  hour  of  perilous  danger 
arrives,  and  he  is  summoned  to  the  charge,  does  he 
now  expect  immortality  and  eternal  life  if  he  fights, 
and  does  he  dread  endless  damnation  if  he  refuses? 
No,  these  are  not  the  motives  which  stimulate  him 
to  set  his  face  to  danger  and  his  breast  to  the  battle. 
The  defence  of  his  country,  the  defence  of  his  wife 
and  children,  and  his  honour  as  a  soldier  are  motives 
sufficient.  Why  then,  my  friends,  are  we  told  that 
no  rewards  in  this  life  are  sufficient  to  excite  us  to 
religion  and  virtue  ?  Why  are  we  told  the  pitiful 
story,  that  nothing  short  of  the  hope  of  endless  hap- 
piness hereafter,  and  the  dread  of  everlasting  dam- 
nation in  the  world  to  come  are  sufficient  incentives 
to  move  men  to  subscribe  to  a  creed  which  men 
have  invented,  and  a  covenant  written  by  a  clergy- 
man, join  a  communion,  and  make  a  few  prayers 
which  he  learns  by  heart,  and  go  to  meeting  on  the 
sabbath  ? 

4.  Since  the  doctrine  of  endless  rewards  and 
punishments  has  been  advocated  and  preached  by 
the  Christian  clergy,  and  the  anathemas  of  eternal 
condemnation  held  up  on  every  sabbath  day ;  and 
since  all  classes  of  people  have  been  habituated  in 
such  a  belief,  has  it  all  together  had  the  desired  ef- 
fect ?  Has  it  made  men  in  reality  any  better?  If 
we  place  the  least  confidence  in  the  most  authentic 
histories,  and  if  we  allow  experience  to  judge  in  this 
case  the  matter  is  plain,  that  a  spirit  of  the  most  vio- 
lent persecution  has  always  accompanied  this  doo 
trin,  and  the  most  shocking  outrages  on  humanity 
have  marked  its  progress. 


302 

,0.  Let  us  ask  now,  where  true  wisdom  lies,  and 
where  her  peaceful  path  is  to  be  found  ?  We  find 
the  answer  in  the  words  of  Jesus,  who  said ;  "  Come 
unto  me,  all  ye  that  labour  and  are  heavy  laden, 
and  I  will  give  you  rest.  Take  my  yoke  upon  you, 
and  learn  of  me  ;  for  I  am  meek  and  lowly  in  heart : 
and  ye  shall  find  rest  unto  your  soul.  For  my 
yoke  is  easy  and  my  burden  is  light."  By  these 
precious  words  we  learn  that  the  Saviour  endeav- 
oured to  persuade  men  into  his  service  by  assuring 
them  that  his  service  was  easy,  and  that  he  imposed 
no  burdens  but  light  ones.  He  compares  his  reli- 
gion with  its  opposite,  as  an  easy  service  to  one 
that  is  hard  ;  as  rest  to  fatigue. 

As  long  as  we  are  persuaded  to  believe  that  the 
way  of  righteousness  is  a  hard  way,  that  it  is  attend- 
ed with  constant  trouble,  that  few  or  no  enjoyments 
are  found  in  obedience  to  its  requirements,  all  the 
promises  which  the  preacher  holds  up  of  bliss  in  a 
future  world,  will  never  induce  usto  travel  the  hated 
road.  On  the  contrary,  as  long  as  we  are  told  that 
sin  and  wickedness  are  attended  with  ease,  pleasure, 
delight,  and  perpetual  gratification  and  satisfaction, 
and  as  long  as  we  believe  this  worst  of  all  descep- 
tions,  so  long  we  shall  live  in  sin,  notwithstanding 
we  may  be  told  of  the  most  horrid  torments  in  a 
future  world  as  a  recompense  therefor. 

Man  loves  happiness  and  hates  misery,  and  this 
love  and  hatred  are  the  only  inducements  which 
move  him  to  action.  Let  us  realize  then  that  righ- 
teousness will  make  us  happy  in  the  present  life, 
and  that  sin  will  make  us  miserable  here  on  the 
earth,  and  let  us  constantly  withstand  the  testimony 
of  our  preachers,  and  the  temptations  of  the  flesh  to 
the  contrary,  and  we  shall  live  as  the  grace  of  God 
teaches,  by  denying  ungodliness  and  worldly  lusts, 
and  by  living  soberly,  righteously,  and  godly  in  this 
present  world. 


303 

It  is  worthy  of  special  regard,  that  the  divine 
promises  and  threatenings,  recorded  by  Moses  and 
the  prophets,  with  which  God  was  pleased  to  signify 
his  approbation  of  righteousness,  and  his  disapproba- 
tion of  sin,  relate  to  blessings  and  punishments  which 
have  been  enjoyed  and  suffered  by  the  house  of 
Israel  in  the  earth. 

For  their  encouragement  the  Lord  promised  them 
all  mariner  of  temporal  blessings;  and  as  a  terror  he 
threatened  them  with  all  manner  of  temporal  calam- 
ities. And  while  they  walked  in  the  statutes  of  the 
Lord,  and  did  his  judgments  these  promises  were 
faithfully  fulfilled.  The  people  multiplied  greatly 
and  abounded  in  all  the  rich  blessings  of  life,  of 
health  and  peace.  But  when  they  rebelled  and 
walked  in  the  way  of  sin,  they  were  visited  with  all 
the  plagues,  judgments,  and  calamities  with  which 
they  had  been  threatened.  NO  people  ever  varied 
their  character  more  than  have  the  Jews.  At  times 
they  were  the  most  upright,  the  most  pious,  the 
most  virtuous  of  all  the  nations  of  the  earth ;  and 
then  they  were  blessed  above  all  people  in  the 
world.  At  other  times  they  have  been  the  most 
perverse ;  have  so  forsaken  the  true  God,  as  to 
carry  idolatry  to  its  extremes,  have  practiced  vio- 
lence and  oppression,  by  which  they  became  a  prey 
to  their  enemies,  and  were  carried  into  captivities, 
and  punished  with  all  the  sore  judgments  which 
were  written  in  their  law  or  denounced  by  their  pro- 
phets. And  as  no  people  have  ever  been  more 
wicked,  so  none  have  been  more  punished  than  they. 

The  judgments  which  our  Saviour  denounced  on 
the  Jews  were  the  same  of  which  we  read  in  the 
26th  of  Leviticus  and  other  writings  of  Moses,  in 
the  Lamentations  of  Jeremiah  and  the  other  writ- 
ings of  this  and  the  rest  of  the  prophets.  And  it  is 
directly  to  our  argument  to  observe  that  all  these 
Calamities  have  come  on  that  people  ;  and  that,  we 
have  no  more  authority  for  applying  either  the 


304 

promises  for  obedience,  or  the  Hire  a  ten  ings  for  dis- 
obedience to  a  future  state,  than  we  have  for  be 
lieving  that  the  Jews,  for  their  obedience  in  this 
world,  will  be  blessed  in  the  future  slate  in  the  quiet 
possession  of  the  land  of  Canaan:  and  for  their  diso- 
bedience will  be  visited  with  sickness  and  be  carried 
away  into  captivity  by  their  enemies. 

To  conclude.  Let  us,  my  friends,  open  our  eyes 
on  the  certain  consequences  with  which  our  heav- 
enly Father  rewards  the  obedient  here  in  the  earth. 
Let  us  regard  that  calm  sunshine  of  peace  within, 
which  we  are  sure  to  enjoy  as  the  reward  of  well 
doing.  Let  us  endeavour  to  estimate  in  a  proper 
manner  the  rich  inheritance  which  is  the  certain  lot 
of  those  who  keep  the  commandment;;  of  God. ' 

Let  us  look  round  us,  and  see  if  prisons,  dun- 
geons, and  gallows  are  not  a  sufficient  argument  to 
prove,  that  the  wicked  are  recompensed  in  the 
earth.  And  if  this  sad  scene  be  not  sufficient,  go 
draw  the  veil  from  still  greater  horrors,  where  in- 
temperance and  uncleanness  exhibit  the  warning 
spectacle  of  degraded  humanity.  Beloved  youth, 
look,  these  terrors  are  no  fictions ;  they  are  awful 
realities!  Your  feet  stand  in  slippery  places!  O 
put  on  the  whole  armour  of  righteousness  that  ye 
may  be  able  to  stand  in  the  evil  day  ;  and  pray 
most  fervently  that  you  may  not  be  led  into  temp- 
tation, but  that  you  may  be  delivered  from  evil. 


No.  20.   -r!;. 
LECTURE  SERMON, 

DELIVERED  AT  THE 

SECOND  UNIVERSALIST  MEETING,  IN  BOSTON, 
APRIL  25,  1819. 


BY  HOSEA  BALLOU,  PASTOR. 


Published  Semi-Monthly  by  Henry  Bowen,  Devonshire-street. 

EZEKIEL  xvi.  last  of  50. 
•  "  Therefore,  I  took  them  away  as  I  saw  good." 

THE  spirit  of  divine  tmth,  addressing  Jerusalem 
by  the  prophet,  informed  her  that  she  was  more  cor- 
rupted in  her  ways  than  her  sisters,  Samaria  and 
her  daughters,  or  Sodom  and  her  daughters.  The 
words  of  the  prophet  are  these ;  "  As  I  live,  saith 
the  Lord  God,  Sodom  thy  sister  hath  not  done,  she 
nor  her  daughters,  as  thou  hast  done,  thou  and  thy 
daughters.  Behold  this  was  the  iniquity  of  thy  sis- 
ter Sodom,  pride,  fulness  of  bread,  and  abundance 
of  idleness,  was  in  her  and  in  her  daughters,  neither 
did  she  strengthen  the  hands  of  the  poor  and  needy. 
And  they  were  haughty,  and  committed  abomina- 
tion before  me ;  therefore  I  took  them  away  as  I 
saw  good." 

The  destruction  of  the  inhabitants  of  Sodom  is 
the  subject  of  our  text,  and  that  to  which  the  most 
cautious  attention  of  this  Christian  audience  is  now 
most  earnestly  solicited. 

By  those  who  believe  and  preach  the  "  heart- 
chilling  doctrine"  of  endless  torment,  the  destruc- 
tion of  Sodom  is  constantly  adverted  to  as  an  evi- 
dent proof  of  this  tenet,  and  an  instance  of  its  posi- 
tive reality.  > 
39 


306 

Now  as  it  is  one  of  the  objects  of  this  course  of 
lectures,  to  disprove  the  doctrine  here  mentioned, 
and  to  show,  that  the  divine  testimony  which  its  acl- 
Tocates  apply  as  proof  of  this  tenet  gives  it  no  sup- 
port, it  is  thought  expedient  to  show  that  we  have 
no  evidence  to  believe  that  the  Sodomites  are  an 
instance  of  an  endless  state  of  misery.  A  nd  as  sev- 
eral other  instances  of  the  destruction  of  the  wick- 
ed are  generally  used  for  the  same  end  as  this  of 
the  destruction  of  Sodom,  notice  will  be  taken  of  a 
number  of  them  in  the  present  discourse,  in  a  way 
to  show  that  they  afford  no  evidence  in  support  of 
the  doctrine,  in  favour  of  which  they  are  perpetually 
employed  by  our  terrific  preachers. 

The  first  question  which  we  shall  attempt  to  ex- 
amine is,  whether  the  scriptures,  which  speak  of  the 
destruction  of  Sodom,  give  any  account  of  the  end- 
less misery  of  those  people  who  died  in  that  des- 
truction ? 

We  are  informed  in  the  18lh  and  19th  chapters 
of  Genesis,  that,  on  account  of  the  grieveous  sin  of 
Sodom  and  Gomorrah,  "  the  Lord  rained  upon 
Sodom  and  upon  Gomorrah,  brimstone  and  fire 
from  the  Lord  out  of  heaven.  And  he  overthrew 
those  cities  and  all  the  plain,  and  all  the  inhabitants 
of  the  cities,  and  that  which  grew  upon  the  ground." 

This  is  the  account  which  we  have  in  Genesis  of 
the  destruction  of  the  Sodomites.  But  we  find  no 
mention  made  of  their  being  consigned  to  a  state  of 
torment  after  their  temporal  destruction. 

Here  let  us  bring  our  subject  into  the  light  by 
the  following  queries. 

1.  Of  the  two  events,  the  temporal  destruction 
of  the  Sodomites  and  their  being  consigned  to  a 
state  of  unspeakable  torment  in  the  invisible  and 
eternal  world,  whicfi  is  the  greatest  ?  Every  one 
will  acknowledge  at  once,  that  the  last  mentioned 
of  these  events  is  infinitely  greater  than  the  first. 
Indeed,  those  who  believe  and  hold  forth  the  idea 
of  the  endless  misery  of  the  wicked  hereafter,  al 


307 

ways  inform  us,  that  all  the  sufferings  of  this  mor- 
talstate  are  nothing  compared  with  the  sufferings  of 
the  miserable  in  the  eternal  world. 

2.  Why,  allowing  the  common  opinion  of  the 
miserable  state  of  the  Sodomites  in  the  invisible 
world,  is  there  a  particular  account  given  of  their 
temporal  destruction,  and  yet  not  a  word  about  this 
everlasting  torment  in  the  future  state,  which  is  a 
subject  infinitely  greater  ?  To  illustrate  the  nature 
of  this  question,  we  will  suppose,  that  we  have  an 
account  in  our  newspapers  of  a  fire  in  the  city 
of  Philadelphia  that  burnt  several  ware-houses 
and  consumed  considerable  property.  This  ac- 
count falls  into  the  hands  of  our  Christian  preachers, 
and  they  come  forward  in  public  and  state  a  most 
lamentable  account  of  the  total  destruction  of  the 
city  of  Philadelphia  by  fire.  They  set  forth,  in  the 
most  moving  language  the  awful  sufferings  of  the 
wretched  inhabitants  of  that  city,  not  one  of  which 
were  able  to  make  their  escape  from  the  devouring 
flames !  They  even  go  so  far  as  to  informs  us  of 
certain  manifestations  of  the  tender  sympathies  of 
husbands  and  wives,  parents  and  children,  brothers 
and  sisters  in  the  last  sad  moments  of  their  dreadful 
destruction.  After  the  peace  of  the  whole  town 
should  be  thus  trifled  with  for  some  time,  and  all 
our  hearts  had  been  wrung  with  the  keenest  sor- 
row for  the  astonishing  sufferings  of  our  fellow 
mortals,  some  of  us  should  ask  our  preachers  how 
they  were  informed  of  the  sorrowful  news  of  the 
destruction  of  the  inhabitants  of  Philadelphia? — 
They  in  a  very  careless  indifferent  manner,  after  a 
few  civilities,  inform  us  that  we  have  had  the  ac- 
count in  the  public  papers ;  and  ask  us  if  we  have 
not  seen  the  account  of  the  burning  of  those  ware- 
houses and  all  the  goods  there  were  in  them  ? — 
What  should  we  think  in  such  a  case  ?  Should  we 
not  allow  ourselves  to  query  whether  these  good 
teachers  had  not  made  some  mistake  ?  or  exagerat- 
ed  in  a  most  unwarranted  degree  the  account  given 


308 

in  the  papers  ?  You  will  all  agree  that  no  excuse 
could  possibly  palliate  for  such  a  breach  of  our 
peace,  except  it  could  be  proved  that  our  teachers, 
who  had  thus  troubled  our  souls,  were  actuated  by 
a  delirium.  But  my  .friends,  even  this  comparison 
falls  infinitely  short  of  the  subject  under  considera- 
tion. There  is  not  so  great  a  disproportion  between 
the  supposed  account  of  the  fire  in  Philadelphia, 
and  the  exageration  of  this  account,  which  we  have 
supposed,  as  there  is  between  the  account  recorded 
in  Genesis  of  the  destruction  of  the  Sodomites,  and 
the  exagerations  by  which  thousands  have  been  led 
to  believe  that  those  who  were  there  destroyed,  were 
consigned  to  a  state  of  interminable  misery.  The 
question  before  you  is  like  this  ;  Would  the  public 
prints  notice,  in  a  particular  manner,  the  burning 
of  a  few  ware-houses  in  the  city  of  Philadelphia,  but 
say  nothing  of  the  burning  of  the  whole  city,  inha- 
bitants and  all? 

3.  As  it  is  acknowledged  by  all,  who  reason  well 
on  the  relation  between  testimony  and  facts,  and  the 
legitimate  powers  of  the  former  to  establish  the 
latter,  that  extraordinary  and  naturally  incredible 
events  require  a  strength  of  testimony  and  a  clear- 
ness of  evidence  which  correspond  with  the  extra- 
ordinary character  of  what  is  to  be  proved,  is  it  not 
our  indispensable  duty,  and  what  we  owe  to  our- 
selves and  to  the  cause  of  truth,  to  ask  our  divines, 
who  insist  on  the  endless  misery  of  the  Sodomites, 
to  produce  evidence  of  this  fact,  the  force  and  clear- 
ness of  which  are  equal  to  the  extraordinary  char- 
acter of  this  supposed  fact  ? 

That  this  supposed  fact  is  naturally  incredible 
appears  most  evident  by  comparing  it  with  the  man- 
ifest character  of  the  divine  Being.  God  is  a  being 
of  infinite  wisdom,  power,  and  goodness. 

We  may  suppose,  that  if  God  were  infinitely  wise, 
and  infinitely  powerful,  but  entirely  destitute  of 
goodness,  he  might  contrive  a  scheme  of  infinite 
cruelty,  and  carry  the  same  into  effect ;  but  if  he 


309 

possess  as  much  goodness  as  he  does  wisdom  and 
power,  it  is,  palpably  absurd  to  believe  that  he  is 
the  author  of  any  being  to  whom  he  is  not  good  ; 
and  it  is  equally  absurd  to  say  that  God  is  good  to 
the  Sodomites  if  they  are  consigned  to  a  state  of 
infinite  misery. 

That  our  heavenly  Father  was  good  and  boun- 
tiful to  the  inhabitants  of  Sodom  in  their  mortal 
state  is  evident  from  our  context,  in  which  we  are 
informed  of  the  idleness  of  the  people,  their  fulness 
of  bread,  and  their  criminal  neglect  of  the  poor  and 
needy.  These  accusations  fully  show  that  they 
were  guilty  of  abusing  the  goodness  of  divine  Pro- 
vidence ;  by  which  it  is  clear  that  God  was  good  to 
them.  Now  as  it  cannot  be  denied  that  our  heav- 
enly Father  was  good  and  bountiful  to  the  inhabi- 
tants of  Sodom  in  their  mortal  state,  is  it  consist- 
ent for  us  to  believe  that  he  is  not  good  to  them  in 
the  eternal  word,  if  he  there  continues  their  exist- 
ence ?  Where  is  the  evidence  that  he,  who  alone 
can  create,  and  preserve  the  existence  of  rational 
beings,  ever  does  this  to  the  damage  of  his  creatures? 

The  plain  truth  is  this  ;  in  room  of  having  such 
clear  and  positive  evidence  in  support  of  this  com- 
mon notion  of  the  endless  misery  of  the  inhabitants 
of  Sodom,  as  reason  would  require,  there  is  not  the 
most  distant  hint  of  any  such  thing,  in  the  account 
recorded  in  Genesis. 

There  is  a  passage  in  the  epistle  of  Jude,  which 
speaks  of  Sodom  and  Gomorrah  as  follows ;  "  Even 
as  Sodom  and  Gomorrah,  and  the  cities  about  them 
in  like  manner  giving  themselves  over  to  fornica- 
tion, and  going  after  strange  flesh,  are  set  forth  for 
an  example,suffering  the  vengeance  of  eternal  fire." 
This  passage  is  frequently  cited  to  prove  that  the 
eternal  state  of  the  inhabitance  of  Sodom  and  Go- 
morrah is  miserable.  Let  us  examine  the  passage 
and  see  if  it  afford  any  such  conclusion.  The 
words,  "are  set  forth  foftan  example  suffering  the 
vengeance  of  eternal' fire,'*  are  supposed  to  support 


the  opinion  in  dispute.  In  order  to  show  that  these 
words  have  no  such  meaning,  we  will  notice  two 
passages  where  St.  Paul  uses  the  words,  "set  forth." 
See  Rom.  iii.  25.  "  Whom  God  hath  set  forth  to  be 
a  propitiation  through  faith  in  his  blood,  to  declare 
his  righteousness  for  the  remission  of  sins  that  are 
past,  through  the  forbearance  of  God."  1.  Cor.iv. 
9.  "For  I  think  that  God  hath  set  forth  us  the 
Apostles  last,  as  it  were  appointed  to  death :  for 
we  are  made  a  spectacle  unto  the  world,  and  to  an- 
gels, and  unto  men."  In  both  these  passages,  the 
words  "  set  forth"  evidently  mean  a  most  open 
and  clear  manifestation  of  that  which  was  "set  forth." 
But  who  will  pretend  that  the  eternal  torments  of 
the  Sodomites,  in  the  burning  lake  of  the  invisable 
world,  are  set  forth  for  an  example  ? 

When  God  "set  forth"  his  dear  Son  for  a  propi- 
tiation of  our  sins,  thousands  of  witnessing  eyes  be- 
held him  and  saw  his  miracles  of  mercy  ;  thousands 
of  ears  heard  the  gracious  words  which  he  spake, 
and  thousands  felt  the  life  giving,  and  health  restor- 
ing power  of  the  Saviour.  His  whole  process  from 
his  birth  to  his  ascension  was  attested  by  many  wit- 
nesses, who  could  not  have  made  any  material  mis- 
take respecting  the  subject  of  their  testimony.  But 
have  we  the  testimony  of  a  single  individual,  who 
has  seen  the  Sodomites  in  torment  since  their 
destruction,  or  heard  their  groans  ?  It  is  true,  and 
it  is  spoken  with  regret,  that  our  terrific  preachers 
speak  on  this  subject,  with  as  much  seeming  assur- 
ance, and  in  terms  as  positive  as  does  the  historian 
who  relates  an  account  of  which  he  is  an  eye  witness. 

The  Apostles  were  "  set  forth  ;"  and  being  "  set 
forth,"  were  a  spectacle  unto  the  world,  and  to  an- 
gels, and  to  men  ;  and  Sodom  and  Gomorrah  were 
set  forth  for  an  example  ;"  but  who  were  the  spec- 
tators ?  Who  were  the  witnesses?  Have  angels 
and  men  seen  them  in  the  torments  of  the  irivisable- 
world  ?  No,  there  is  iix>  such  thing;  but  we  are 
informed,  by  the  divine  historian,  that  "  Abraham 


311 

gat  up  early  in  the  morning  to  the  place  where  he 
stood  before  the  Lord.  And  he  looked  towards 
Sodom  and  Gomorrah,  and  toward  all  the  land  of 
the  plain,  and  lo,  the  smoke  of  the  country  went  up 
as  the  smoke  of  a  furnace."  There  can  be  no  rea- 
sonable doubt  that  the  destruction  of  the  inhabi- 
tants of  Sodom  and  the  Cities  of  the  plain  was,  "set 
forth"  before  the  eyes  of  all  the  inhabitants  of  the 
surrounding  country  ;  and  there  can  be  no  doubt 
but  that  it  was  considered  by  those  who  saw  it,  as 
a  dispensation  of  divine  Providence  for  the  wicked- 
ness of  the  people.  And  it  was  recorded  in  the 
scriptures  for  an  example,  and  a  warning  to  the  in- 
habitants of  the  earth  not  to  practice  their  sins. 

The  fire  which  destroyed  Sodom  and  the  cities 
of  the  plain,  is  called  eternal  fire  on  account  of  the 
long  time  it  continued  in  the  country,  and  burned 
in  those  pits  of  slime  of  which  we  read  in  the  ac- 
count of  the  battle  between  five  kings  on  the  part 
of  Sodom  and  its  confederates,  and  the  four  kings 
who  went  against  them. 

But  the  fact  is  we  are  assured  in  the  most  plain 
terms  that  the  punishment  of  the  sin  of  Sodom  is 
not  in  a  future  state,  but  was  executed  on  its  inha- 
bitants in  a  most  sudden  and  expeditious  manner. 
See  Lam.  iv.6.  "For  the  punishment  of  the  iniquity 
of  the  daughter  of  my  people  is  greater  than  the 
punishment  of  the  sin  of  Sodom,that  was  overthrown 
as  in  a  moment,  and  no  hand  stayed  on  her."  By 
this  testimony  we  learn  the  following  facts,  which 
relate  to  the  argument  under  consideration. 

1.  The   punishment  of  the  sin  of  Sodom,  was 
their  temporal  destruction. 

2.  This  overthrow,  which  was  the  punishment  of 
their  sins  was  executed  in  a  very  short  time. 

3.  There  was  no  protracted  punishment  execut- 
ed on  them  after  this  sudden  overthrow.     This  we 
learn  from  the  concluding  words  of  the  passage 
quoted ;  "  No  hand  stayed  on  her."    And 


312 

4.  This  punishment  of  the  sin  of  Sodom  was  less 
than  the  punishment  of  the  iniquity  of  the  house  of 
Jsrael.  And  it  is  furthermore  worthy  of  observa- 
tion, that  if  the  punishment  of  the  sin  of  Sodom  be 
endless  misery,  it  is  a  most  palpable  absurdity  to 
say,  that  the  punishment  of  the  iniquity  of  the  house 
of  Israel  was  greater.  The  punishment  which  the 
prophet  describes,  as  being  greater  than  the  pun- 
ishment of  the  sin  of  Sodom,  was  altogether  the  ca- 
lamities of  wars,  famines,  and  other  temporal  judg- 
ments which  came  on  the  people  for  their  iniquities. 
And  by  the  prophet  Ezekiel,  in  the  place  where 
our  text  is  recorded,  we  have  the  reason  given  why 
the  punishment  of  .Jerusalem  aught,  injustice,  to  be 
greater  than  the  punishment  of  the  sin  of  Sodom. 

It  is  here  staled  that  Jerasalem  was  more  cor- 
rupted in  all  her  ways,  than  Sodom. 

Having  fully  proved,  as  far  as  any  thing  can  be 
proved  by  the  divine  testimony,  that  the  common 
opinion  concerning  the  punishment  of  the  Sodom- 
ites is  not  only  without  foundation  in  scripture,  but 
also  in  direct  opposition  to  the  plain  testimony  on 
the  subject,  we  may  now  notice  the  words  of  our 
text,  by  way  of  the  following  inquiry. 

As  God  says,  by  the  prophet,  in  our  text ;  "There- 
fore, I  took  them  away  as  I  saw  good,"  what  good 
was  there  effected  by  their  being  taken  away  in 
such  a  manner  ?  The  reason  why  they  were  taken 
away,  was  their  sins.  Now  if  they  remained  as 
great  sinners  after  they  were  destroyed,  as  they 
were  before,  then  the  occasion  of  their  being  taken 
away  was  not  removed  by  their  destruction.  Here 
then  we  see,  what  we  always  may  notice  in  false 
notions  of  the  ways  of  God.  They  always  repre- 
sent the  divine  Being  as  capable  of  acting  without 
effect,  or  in  a  partial  manner,  or  to  a  malevolent 
purpose.  God  destroyed  the  Sodomites  because 
they  were  sinful ;  yet  after  their  destruction  they 
were  no  less  sinful.  Thus  the  object  failed.  Af- 
ter their  destruction,  as  their  sin  remained,  the 


313 

Almighty  consigned  them  to  burning  flames  etern- 
ally, not  to  reform  them  of  course,  but  to  vent  on 
them  his  eternal  wrath.  Thus  error  represents  the 
divine  Being,  revengeful  and  cruel. 

A  desire  is  felt,  that  the  hearer  would  lend  an  at- 
tention to  these  questions,  viz.  Why  should  our  heav- 
enly Father  manifest  any  disapprobation  of  sin  ? 
Does  he  suffer  any  inconvenience  from  it  ?  Does 
the  happiness  of  the  sole  Governor  of  the  universe 
depend  on  the  conduct  of  his  creatures?  Now  as 
all  will  agree  that  the  Almighty  cannot  be  injured 
by  sin,  so  it  is  reasonable  to  conclude  that  he  for- 
bids it  because  it  is  injurious  to  man ;  and  it  is  rea- 
sonable also  to  conclude  that  the  judgments,  by 
which  the  divine  disapprobation  of  sin  is  manifest- 
ed, are  designed  to  lessen  and  not  to  increase  human 
misery.  But  will  any  one  undertake  to  prove  that 
human  misery  is  lessened  by  inflicting  unspeakable 
torments  on  mankind  as  long  as  God  shall  exist  ? 

Let  us,  my  friends,  lay  aside  all  the  vain  notions 
of  tradition  and  superstition  respecting  our  subject, 
notions  which  suppose  that  our  Father  in  heaven  is 
acting  the  part  of  an  implacable  enemy  to  his  own 
rational  offspring,  and  let  us  listen  to  the  language 
of  our  text;  and- let  us  realize  it  as  the  language  of 
a  kind  and  merciful  father.  "  Therefore  I  took 
them  away  as  I  saw  good."  My  friends,  how  does 
this  language  sound  to  you  ?  Does  it  carry  any  idea 
of  unmerciful  vengeance  ?  No,  it  does  not.  But  it 
gives  a  clear  idea  that  God  acted  in  this  instance, 
consistantly  with  his  nature  which  Js  love,  and  with 
his  character  as  a  Father.  He  acted  for  the  good 
of  his  creatures. 

According  to  promise,  we  may  now  proceed  to 
notice  some  other  instances  of  the  destructien  of  the 
wicked,  which  instances  are  generally  used  in  sup- 
port of  the  system  of  terror  to  which  the  destruction 
of  the  Sodomites  is  so  universally  applied. 

The  first  we  propose  to  examine  is  the  destruc- 
tion of  Pharaoh  and  his  host  in  the  red  sea. 
40 


314 

There  has  been  and  continues  to  he  much  dispute 
and  opposition  of  opinion  among  divines,  respecting 
God's  raising  up  Pharaoh  and  hardening  his  heart 
for  eternal  destruction.  Some  insist  that  the  Al- 
mighty, by  a  sovereign  act, created  Pharaoh  for  ev- 
erlasting misery  in  the  eternal  world,  and  that  he 
hardened  his  heart  on  purpose  that  he  might  com- 
mit sin  enough  to  justify  his  endless  condemnation. 
Others  oppose  such  notions,  and  charge  them  with 
making  liod  the  author  of  sin.  But  they  contend 
that  Pharaoh  hardened  his  own  heart,  was  the  sole 
author  of  his  own  sins  and  is  justly  sentenced  to 
everlasting  perdition  together  with  all  his  host  for 
disobedience  in  refusing  to  let  the  children  of  Israel 
go  peaceably  out  of  Egypt.  Thus  there  is  one  dar- 
ling point,  in  which,  after  they  have  opposed  one 
another  with  all  the  arguments  which  they  can  pos- 
sibly bring  to  bear  on  the  subject  in  dispute,  and 
after  they  have  reciprocally  censured  each  other 
for  holding  dangerous  errors,  they  meet,  and  become 
perfectly  quiet  in  the  belief,  that  Pharaoh  and  his 
host  are  in  the  torments  of  hell,  from  which  there  is 
no  deliverance. 

That  which  these  opposing  divines  dispute  about. 
is  not  embraced  in  the  present  object,  to  which  this 
research  is  directed,  but  the  point  in  which  they 
both  meet,  and  concerning  which  they  entertain  no 
doubt,  is  the  question  now  to  be  settled. 

But  how  are  we  to  obtain  our  object  ?  The  tra- 
dition of  the  church  says,  that  Pharaoh  and  his  host 
are  in  a  state  of  endless  torment.  This  tradition 
is  now  called  in  question.  But  how  are  we  to  bring 
this  case  to  a  fair  decision  ?  The  following  meth- 
od is  proposed.  Let  those  divines,  who  hold  and 
endeavour  to  maintain  that  Pharaoh  and  his  host  are 
in  a  state  of  endless  misery  pursuant  to  an  eternal 
decree  of  God,  and  those  who  deny  that  tenet,  but 
maintain  that  Pharaoh  and  his  host  are  in  this  state 
of  torment  in  consequence  of  abusing  their  moral 
agency  drop  their  dispute,  until  they  shall  have 


315 

proved  that  Pharaoh  and  his  host  are  actually  in 
such  a  state.  And  then  let  them  all  agree  to  be- 
lieve nothing  on  this  subject  more  than  the  divine 
testimony  proves. 

When  this  method  is  agreed  to,  the  ,\\hole  ques- 
tion is  settled  ;  for  the  fact  is,  there  is  no  intimation 
in  the  scripture  account  that  Pharaoh  or  any  of  his 
host  were  sufferers  after  they  were  drowned  in  the 
red  sea. 

It  is  a  most  humiliating  thought,  that  our  learned 
doctors  of  ihe  church  should  so  long  maintain  this 
phantom  of  their  imagination,  to  the  dishonor  of 
God,  and  to  the  discomfort  of  every  tender  sensi- 
bility of  the  human  heart. 

But  the  day  of  trial  and  retribution  is  come  ;  and 
this  folly  must  be  recompensed.  It  is  true,  they 
may  turn  away  their  faces,  they  may  wish  to  avoid 
meeting  these  glaring  absurdities ;  but  the  spirit  of 
investigation,  which  is  now  manifesting  itself,  will 
never  suffer  this  matter  to  rest,  until  such  barbarity 
of  sentiment  is  totally  rescinded. 

The  hearer  is  cautioned  against  the  supposition 
that  the  preacher  takes  the  least  satisfaction  in  giv- 
ing those,  who  maintain  the  errors  which  he  is  en- 
deavouring to  expose,  the  smallest  sensation  that 
may  disturb  their  comfort,  and  against  harbouring 
such  a  reprehensible  disposition.  But  he  may  be 
assured,  that  no  respect  due  to  fellow  mortals,  can 
justly  prevent  us  from  bringing  their  false  notions 
to  the  light. 

The  next  subject,  which  we  propose  to  notice  is 
that  of  Korah,  Dathan,  and  Abiram.  We  have  an 
account  in  the  16th  of  Numbers  of  the  destruction 
of  these  persons,  their  families,  and  of  all  that  ap- 
pertained to  them,  by  being  swallowed  up  in  the 
earth.  This  is  another  instance  of  divine  provi- 
dence, which,  those  who  believe  and  preach  the  doc- 
trine of  endless,  unmerciful  punishment  advert  to 
as  a  certain  proof  of  its  reality.  But  how  can  the 
account  which  we  have  of  the  destruction  of  those 


316 

people  prove  what  it  says  nothing  of  nor  even  im- 
plies ?  If  one  should  say,  that  Korah,  Dathan,  and 
Abiram  with  their  families  went  immediately,  after 
they  were  swallowed  up  in  the  earth,  to  some  one 
of  the  planets,  where  they  have  all  lived  ever 
since  in  a  state  of  affluence,  who  could  prove  to  the 
contrary  ?  There  is  nothing  in  the  account  which 
we  have  of  those  people  that  intimate  what  became 
of  them  after  they  were  swallowed  up  in  the  earth. 

If  we  could  be  satisfied  with  the  account  which 
we  have  of  this  matter,  there  is  no  difficulty  in  un- 
derstanding why  these  people  were  swallowed  up, 
and  the  benefit  thereby  intended  to  the  congregation. 

As  these  men  rose  up  to  oppose  Moses  and  Aa- 
ron, and  to  excite  the  people  to  rebellion,  Moses 
told  the  congregation ;  "  Hereby  shall  ye  know  that 
the  Lord  hath  sent  me  to  do  all  these  works.  If  these 
men  die  the  common  death  of  all  men,  or  if  they  be 
visited  after  the  visitation  of  all  men,  then  the  Lord 
hath  not  sent  me  ;  but  if  the  Lord  make  a  new  thing, 
and  the  earth  open  her  mouth,  and  swallow  them  up, 
with  all  that  appertaineth  unto  them,  and  they  go 
down  quickly  into  the  pit,  then  ye  shall  understand 
that  those  men  have  provoked  the  Lord."  Accord- 
ing to  these  words  the  event  took  place,  arid  the  re- 
bellion was  ended. 

The  question  is  now  put  to  the  candor  of  this 
Christian  audience,  what  is  there  in  this  account  that 
authorises  the  belief  that  Korah,  Dathan,  and  Abi- 
ram are  now  in  a  state  of  endless  torment  ?  Moses 
did  not  intimate  to  the  congregation  that  these  peo- 
ple would  be  tormented  after  death  ;  and  in  fact  if 
he  had  told  them  so,  they  could  not  have  been  wit- 
nesses of  the  truth  of  his  testimony  ;  nor  could  any 
other  people  since  ha veknown  whetherMoses spoke 
the  truth  or  not.  We  have  no  account  either  sacred 
or  prophane,  that  gives  any  information  of  the  situ- 
ation of  this  company  after  the  earth  swallowed 
them  up.  If  they  have  been  in  a  state  of  torment 
ever  since,  that  torment  has  been  no  terror  to  the 


317 

living,  because  the  living  have  known  nothing  of  it. 
And  it  is  certain,  that  those  who  advert  to  the  case 
of  Korah  and  his  company,  as  an  instance  proving 
the  doctrine  of  a  future  state  of  misery,  do  this 
thing  on  no  higher  authority  than  human  tradition. 
The  destruction  of  the  old  world  by  the  flood,  is 
another  event,  on  which,  our  preachers  of  punish- 
ment in  a  future  state,  depend  for  proof  of  their 
terrific  doctrine.  And  such  is  the  habit  of  thinking, 
with  pious  and  religious  people,  on  this  subject, 
that  whenever  they  think  of  the  drowning  of  the 
inhabitants  of  the  old  world,  their  minds  are  carried 
directly  to  the  idea  of  the  awful  state  of  suffering 
which  those  people  have  been  in  ever  since.  They 
never  presume  to  call  the  matter  in  question.  They 
never  think  of  asking  whether  there  be  any  proof 
of  this  horrible  notion.  They  take  it  altogether 
on  tradition,  without  taking  the  trouble  ever  to 
read  the  account  to  see  what  is  said  respecting  it. 
Yet  it  is  worthy  of  notice,  that  these  very  people, 
thus  led  away  with  superstition,  will  wonder,  and 
even  laugh  at  the  absurd  superstitions  of  other  peo- 
ple, in  matters  of  no  consequence  in  comparison 
with  this  which  we  have  now  called  in  question.  For 
instance,  what  a  world  of  contention  there  has  been 
between  Roman  catholics  and  Protestants,  on  the 
question  respecting  transubstantiation  and  what  is 
termed,  the  real  presence.  Protestants  will  even 
ridicule  the  superstition  of  their  opponents  on  this 
subject;  but  after  all, have  they  a  thousandth  part  of 
the  evidence  to  prove  that  the  inhabitants  of  the  old 
world  are  in  a  state  of  endless  misery,  as  the  catho- 
lics have  to  prove  the  real  presence?  No,  surely 
they  have  not.  When  Jesus  took  bread  and  brake 
it,  he  said  ;  "  this  is  my  body."  Protestants  say, 
that  Jesus  spake  figuratively ;  bu  t  the  catholics  deny 
this,  and  say,  he  meant  as  he  said.  Now  what  we 
ask  is  this,  is  there  in  all  the  account  which  we  have 
of  the  destruction  of  the  old  world,  any  thing  so 
much  in  favour  of  the  misery  of  the  people  after 


318 

death,  as  the  words  of  Christ  are  in  favour  of  the 
catholic  sentiment  ?  The  fact  is,  there  is  nothing 
said  on  the  subject.  There  is  no  intimation  that 
the  inhabitants  who  were  drowned  by  the  flood  were 
made  miserable  at  all  in  a  future  state.  Thus  Pro- 
testants as  well  as  the  old  pharisees  "  strain  at  a 
gnat,  and  swallow  a  camel." 

In  the  last  place,  we  will  notice  the  case  of  Judas, 
who  betrayed  Jesus.  Because  Jesus  said  ;  "  It  had 
been  good  for  that  man  if  he  had  not  been  born," 
it  is  now  contended  that  Judas  is  in  a  state  of  misery 
from  which  there  is  no  deliverance.  But  did  the 
divine  teacher  say  any  thing  on  the  subject  of  the 
state  of  existence  that  Judas  would  be  in  after  this 
life  ?  No  he  surely  did  not.  How  then  can  his 
words  prove  what  they  say  nothing  of? 

Let  us  ask  the  following  question ;  Is  it  possible 
to  prove  that  Judas  now  has  any  existence,  from 
the  words  of  Jesus,  which  we  have  quoted  ?  "  It 
had  been  good  for  that  man  if  he  had  not  been  born." 
Do  those  words  prove  that  Judas  is  now  in  exist- 
ence ?  Surely  no  one  will  even  pretend  this.  But 
it  is  beyond  all  scruple,  that  a  sentence  which  does 
not  prove  that  a  man  exists  at  a  given  time,  cannot 
prove  that  he  is  miserable  or  happy  at  the  same 
given  time. 

But  it  is  said,  if  Judas  exists,  and  if  he  should  be 
made  happy  in  the  eternal  world,  the  words  of  Jesus 
are  not  true,  because  the  existence  of  Judas  will  be 
a  blessing.  This  we  pronounce  loose  and  fallacious 
reasoning,  such  as  is  never  used  to  prove  any  thing, 
except  the  doctrine  of  a  future  or  endless  misery. 
In  all  matters  appertaining  to  men's  interest,  in  this 
life,  better  proof  is  required  than  what  is  here  re- 
lied on  to  prove  a  state  of  endless  torment..  We 
even  venture  to  say,  that  there  could  not  be  found 
a  jury  of  twelve  men  who  would  award  property  to 
the  amount  often  dollars  to  a  man,  who  could  not 
prove  his  claim  to  it  by  evidence  more  to  his  case. 
We  may  suppose  that  Jesus  meant,  that  it  would 


319 

have  been  good  for  Judas,  if  his  lot  had  been  ap- 
pointed with  those  who  never  saw  the  light;  or  we 
may  suppose,  that  he  meant,  it  would  have  been 
iiood  for  Judas  if  he  had  not  been  born  until  after 

^ 

that  period  of  time  ;  or  we  may  suppose  that  Jesus 
meant,  it  would  have  been  good  for  Judas  if  he  had 
not  at  that  time  been  born  of  the  spirit  of  truth ;  for 
Peter  says  of  those  that  fall  away  ;  "It  had  been 
better  for  them  not  to  have  known  the  way  of  righ- 
teousness, than  after  they  have  known  it,  to  turn 
from  the  holy  commandments  delivered  unto  them.'* 
Either  of  these  suppositions  is  within  the  possible 
meaning  of  the  words  of  Jesus,  but  the  supposition 
that  Jesus  meant,  that  it  would  have  been  good  for 
Ju^as  not  to  have  had  an  existence  is  not  within  the 
possible  meaning  of  his  words ;  for  if  he  had  not  ex- 
isted he  could  have  receive^  no  good  in  any  way. 
Whoever  will  carefully  read  what  Job  says  con- 
cerning his  being  born,  in  his  3d  chapter,  and  like- 
wise what  Jeremiah  says  of  his  own  birth  in  his  20th 
chapter  will  surely  find  as  much  proof  of  the  mise- 
ry of  these  men  in  an  other  world,  as  they  can  find 
in  the  words  of  Jesus  respecting  the  misery  of  Ju- 
das in  the  future  state. 

According  to  the  words  of  Jesus  in  the  19th  of 
Matthew,  Judas  had  followed  him  in  the  regenera- 
tion. And  we  learn  by  the  account  we  have  in  the 
10th  chapter,  that  Judas,  as  well  as  the  rest  of  the 
twelve  Apostles  was  endowed  with  power  to  heal 
the  sick,  to  cleanse  lepers,  to  raise  the  dead,  and  to 
cast  out  devils;  he  was  also  commissioned  to  preach 
the  gospel.  In  the  labours  of  this  miraculous  min- 
istry we  have  no  account  that  Judas  was  not  as 
faithful  and  as  successful,  as  the  rest  of  the  twelve. 
But  he  was  a  fallible  man  like  the  rest ;  satan  en- 
tered into  him,  and  he  committed  one  act  that  was 
base  in  the  extreme ;  he  betrayed  his  master.  Peter 
also  denied  him,  and  confirmed  his  denial  with  oaths. 
Judas  was  called  a  devil  and  Peter  was  called  satan. 
Our  tradition  has  placed  Judas  in  hell,  in  the  eternal 
world,  and  Peter  in  heaven. 


320 

The  exclamation  that  Judas  made  when  he  re- 
pented and  brought  back  the  money,  (O  that  all, 
who  profess  to  repent,  would  do  likewise,)  to  the 
chief  priests  is  worthy  of  observation;  "  I  have  sin- 
ned, in  that  I  have  betrayed  the  innocent  blood. — 
This  shows  the  high  estimation  in  which  this  un- 
happy man  held  innocence.  It  seems  that  the  pain 
of  his  heart  was  occasioned  by  his  having  betrayed 
the  innocent. 

Now  if  lie  had  had  no  love  nor  regard  for  inno- 
cence, but  if  entire  opposition  to  all  good  had  pos- 
sessed his  heart  he  surely  would  not  have  repented 
and  brought  back  the  money  ;  he  would  not  have 
exclaimed,  "I  have  sinned  in  that  I  have  betrayed 
the  innocent  blood." 

My  friends,  the  scriotures  gives  no  account  that 
this  man  was  miserable  in  another  state ;  but  the 
distress  his  soul  was  in,  in  consequence  of  having  be- 
trayed the  innocent  Jesus,  should  be  a  solemn  warn- 
ing to  every  one  of  us,  that  we  never  violate  our  duty 
to  the  innocent. 

To  conclude ;  God  took  away  the  Sodomites, 
Pharaoh  and  his  host,  Korah  and  his  company,  the 
inhabitants  of  the  old  world,  Judas  who  betrayed 
his  master,  and  many  other,  as  he  saw  good.  His 
designs  are  all  the  designs  of  goodness.  And  if  the 
Holy  Ghost  had  intended  to  inform  us  that  all  (hose 
people  were  miserable  in  the  invisible  world,  we 
should  have  found  it  so  recorded  in  the  faithful  tes- 
timony. But  we  have  reason  to  be  thankfnl,  and  to 
praise  the  name  of  him,  who  gave  himself  a  ransom 
for  all,  who  is  the  propitiation  for  the  sins  of  the 
whole  world.  We  have  great  consolation  in  believ- 
ing, that  "  as  in  Adam  all  die,  even  so  in  Christ 
shall  all  be  made  alive.  In  opposition  to  the  doc- 
trine of  future,  endless  misery,  we  present  the  un- 
changeable goodness  of  that  God,  who  "  is  good 
unto  all  and  whose  tender  mercies  are  over  all  his 
works. 


DELIVERED  AT  THE 

SECOND  UNIVERSALIST  MEETING,  IN  BOSTON, 
MAY  9,  1819. 


BY  HOSEA  BALLOU,  PASTOR. 


Published  Semi-Monthly  by  Henry  BoWen,  Congress-street. 

ISAIAH  xxviii.  last  of  19. 
"  And.  il  Shall  be  a  vexation  only  to  understand  the  report,'1'' 

THE  prophet  in  this  chapter,  contemplates  the 
house  of  Israel  in  a  state  of  great  seeming  security, 
into  which  they  had  introduced  themselves,  by 
making  a  covenant  with  death,  and  an  agreement 
with  hell,  and  by  preparing  for  themselves  a  refuge 
of  lies. 

As  is  perfectly  natural  with  those,  who,  by  their 
own  wisdom,  frame  for  themselves  partial  systems, 
this  people  exulted  in  their  confidence,  and  raised 
their  expectations  of  seeing  the  destructions  and 
calamities,  from  which  they  fapcied  themselves  se- 
cure, fall  like  an  overflowing  scourge  on  those  who 
had  neglected  to  enter  into  their  covenant,  to  avail 
themselves  of  their  agreement,  and  to  take  shelter 
in  their  refuge. 

According  to  their  confidence  and  expectation 
they  said ;  "  We  have  made  a  covenant  with  death, 
and  with  hell  are  we  at  agreement ;  when  the  over- 
flowing scourge  shall  pass  through,  it  shall  not  come 
unto  us ;  for  we  have  made  lies  our  refuge,  and 
under  falsehood  have  we  hid  ourselves." 

Thus  an  overflowing  scourge  was  expected  ;  but 
it  was  to  come  on  others,  they  were  safe.     They 
41 


322 

had  made  due    preparation*  for  security,  and  had 
nothing  to  anticipate  but  their  own  safety  ana  the*" 
destruction  of  others,  who  had  neglected  to  get  an 
interest  in  their  means  of  defence. 

But  the  wisdom  of  man  is  foolishness  with  God. 
When  he  thinks  himself  secure,  and  is  looking  out 
for  the  destruction  of  others,  he  is  frequently  sub- 
jected to  the  vexation  of  seeing  his  confidence  fail, 
his  hope  expire,  and  his  expectations  die. 

Such  was  the  lot  of  that  people  whom  the 
prophet  addressed  in  this  chapter.  For  in  reply 
to  their  boasting,  the  Lord  says;  «  Behold  I  lay 
in  Zion  for  a  foundation  a  stone,  a  tried  stone ;  a 
precious  cornor  stone,  a  sure  foundation ;  he  that 
believeth  shall  not  make  haste.  Judgment  also 
will  I  lay  to  the  line,  and  righteousness  to  the 
plummet ;  and  the  hail  shall  sweep  away  the  refuge 
of  lies,  and  the  waters  shall  overflow  the  hiding 
place.  And  your  covenant  with  death  shall  be  dis- 
annulled, and  your  agreement  with  hell  shall  not 
stand;  when  the  overflowing  scourge  shall  pass 
through,  then  ye  shall  be  trodden  down  by  it. 
From  the  time  that  it  goeth  forth  it  shall  take  you : 
for  morning  by  morning  shall  it  pass  over,  by  day 
and  by  night;  and  it  shall  be  a  vexation,  only  to 
understand  the  report.  For  the  bed  is  shorter 
than  that  a  man  can  stretch  himself  on  it;  and  the 
covering  narrower  than  that  he  can  wrap  himself 
in  it."  This  was  widely  different  from  their  ex- 
pectations. All  their  calculations  failed.  Their 
covenant  with  death  disannulled ;  their  agreement 
with  hell  disolved;  and  the  waters  overflowed 
the  hiding  places  composed  of  lies.  The  bed  pre- 
pared for  repose  is  found  to  be  too  short ;  and  the 
covering  designed  for  defence  from  the  cold,  is  too 
narrow.  Thus  their  labour  is  lost :  and  in  room  of 
security  they  find  trouble,  and  in  room  of  behold- 
ing the  dist ruction  of  others,  thev  are  vexed  with 

^•>  j  tf 

the  report  of  their  own. 


323 

That  the  spirit  of  prophecy  spake  in  this  chap- 
ter concerning  Christ  and  the  gospel  day  seems 
evident  from  the  16th  verse  which  has  been  quoted. 

"  Behold  I  lay  in  Zion  for  a  foundation,  a  stone, 
a  tried  stone  ;  a  precious  corner  stone,  a  sufe  foun- 
dation; he  that  believeth  shall  not  make  haste.'? 
Compare  this  with  the  following  words  of  St. 
Peter;  "Wherefore  also  it  is  contained  in  the 
scripture,  behold  I  lay  in  Sion  a  chief  corner 
stone,  elect,  precious  ;  and  he  that  believeth  on 
him  shall  not  be  confounded."  Also  Acts  4.  II. 
"This  is  the  stone  which  was  set  at  naught  by  you 
builders,  wiiich  is  become  the  head  of  the  corner." 
Likewise  Psalm  118.  22,  23.  "The  stone  which 
the  builders  refused  is  become  the  head  stone  of 
the  corner.  This  is  the  Lord's  doing ;  k  is  mar- 
velous in  our  eyes ;"  compared  with  Mat.  21.  42. 
"  Jesus  saith  unto  them,  did  ye  never  read  in  the 
scriptures,  the  stone  which  the  builders  rejected, 
the  same  is  become  the  head  of  the  corner ;  this  is 
the  Lord's  doing,  and  it  is  marvelous  in  our  eyes?" 
To  this  stone  St.  Paul  alludes  in  the  9th  of  Romans 
where  he  speaks  of  the  stumbling  of  the  house  of 
Israel,  as  follows  ;  "  But  Israel,  which  followed  af- 
ter the  law  of  righteousness,  hath  not  attained  to  the 
law  of  righteousness.  Wherefore  ?  Because  they 
sought  it  not  by  faith,  but  as  it  were  by  the  works 
of  the  law  :  for  they  stumbled  at  the  stumbling 
stone  ;  as  it.  is  written,  Behold,  I  lay  in  Sion  a 
gturnbling-stone,  and  a  rock  of  offence  :  and  who- 
soever believeth  on  him  shall  not  be  ashamed. 

By  the  light  shed  on  our  subject,  by  this  compar- 
ison of  scripture  testimony,  we  are  assisted  to  make 
the  following  conclusions. 

I.  The  doctrine  and  religion  of  the  old  Jewish 
church,  were  represented  by  the  prophet,  as  a  cov- 
enant with  death,  an  agreement  with  hell,  and  a  re- 
fuge of  lies. 


II.  The  Messiah,  his  doctrine  and  religion  are 
represented  by  a  precious  corner  stone,  judgment 
laid  to  the  line  and  righteousness  to  the  plummet,  and 
to  hail  and  to  waters  forming  an  overflowing  scourge, 
by  which  the  covenant  with  death  is  disannulled, 
the  argument  with  hell  destroyed,  and  the  refuge 
of  lies  overflown.     And 

III.  The  vexation  which  the  report  of  the  doct- 
rine, religion,  and  things  of  Jesus  would  cause  his 
enemies,  in  the  day  of  the  manifestation  of  his  pow- 
er and  grace. 

The  doctrine  and  religion  of  the  old  pharisees, 
the  most  religious  sect  among  the  Jews,  being  the 
natural  fruits  of  their  carnal  evil  hearts,  were  very 
justly  represented  by  a  covenant  and  an  agreement 
with  death  and  hell.  St.  Paul  says ;  "  To  be  car- 
nally minded  is  death."  And  Jesus,  speaking  to 
the  pharisees,  said;  "  O  generation  of  vipers!  how 
can  ye,  being  evil,  speak  good  things?  for  out  of 
the  abundance  of  the  heart  the  mouth  speaketh. 
A  good  man,  out  of  the  good  treasure  of  his  heart, 
bringeth  forth  good  things ;  and  an  evil  man,  out 
of  the  evil  treasure,  bringeth  forth  evil  things." 

There  never  was  but  two  sorts  of  religion  in  the 
world,  the  true  and  the  false.  True  religion  is  the 
natural  growth  of  a  good  heart ;  and  false  religion 
is  the  spontaneous  production  of  an  evil  heart. — 
There  never  was  but  two  doctrines  in  the  world, 
the  true  and  the  false.  The  true  doctrine  is  the 
offspring  of  the  wisdom  which  is  from  above ;  and 
the  false  is  the  vain  imagination  of  the  wisdom  which 
is  from  beneath.  "  The  wisdom  that  is  from  above 
is  first  pure,  then  peaceable,  gentle,  and  easy  to  be 
intreated,  full  of  mercy  and  good  fruits,  without 
partiality  and  without  hypocrisy;"  but  the  wisdom 
which  is  from  beneath  is  directly  the  reverse ;  it  is 
impure,contentious,unkind,  inexorable,  unmerciful, 
full  of  evil  fruits,  partial,  and  hypocritical. 


325 

This  last  was  the  ckfctrine  of  the  pharisees,  it  was 
that  leaven  which  had,  in  a  great  decree,  leavened 
the  whole  Jewish  nation,  it  rendered  the  pharisees 
and  the  people  in  general  so  inimical  to  Christ  and 
his  gospel. 

This  doctrine  which  is  represented  by  a  covenant 
with  death,  and  an  agreement  with  hell,  may  always 
be  known  by  its  enmity.  Put  it  into  whatever 
dress  you  may,  call  it  by  whatever  name  you  please, 
represent  it  as  the  most  precious  of  all  treasures, 
all  this  does  not  alter  its  nature.  Call  it,  if  you  will, 
the  apostolic  faith,  the  holy  catholic,  the  evangelic, 
the  Calvinistic,  the  Arminian,  or  the  orthodox,  if 
there  be  partiality,  if  there  be  an  unmerciful  spirit, 
and  if  there  be  an  implacable  wrath  in  it,  it  is  a 
covenant  with  death  and  an  agreement  with  hell. 
This  doctrine  may  be  taught  by  a  renowned  Gama- 
liel, it  may  have  and  command  the  influence  of 
Colleges  and  eminent  professors,  it  may  be  decora- 
ed  with  gowns  and  bands,  but  it  remains  the  same. 

Lies  and  hypocrisy  are  its  refuge.  In  his  faith- 
ful-ness to  his  adversaries,  our  Saviour  did  not  fail  to 
point  out  their  hypocrisy,  and  the  methods  by  which 
they  deceived  the  people.  He  said ;  "  Wo  unto 
you,  scribes  and  pharisees,  hypocrites  !  for  ye  de- 
vour widow's  houses,  and  for  a  pretence  make  long 
prayer."  All  such  prayers  were  falsehoods ;  they 
were  mere  pretences,  designed  to  deceive  the  peo- 
ple. For  this  species  of  hypocrisy,  Jesus  told  them, 
that  they  should  receive  the  greater  damnation. 

Again,  the  Saviour  said  ;  "  Wo  unto  you  scribes 
and  pharisees,  hypocrites !  for  ye  compass  sea  and 
land  to  make  one  proselyte ;  and,  when  he  is  made, 
ye  make  him  two  fold  more  the  child  of  hell  than 
yourselves."  This  must  have  been  done  by  false- 
hood and  deceit. 

"  Wo  unto  you  scribes  and  pharisees,  hypocrites! 
for  ye  make  clean  the  outside  of  the  cup  and  the 
platter,  but  within  they  are  full  of  extortion  and 


326 

excess."  This  again  is  all  deceit.  "  Wo  unto  you 
scribes  and  pharisees,  hypocrites !  for  ye  are  like 
unto  whited  sepulchres,  which  indeed  appear  beau- 
tiful outward,  but  are  within  full  of  dead  men's 
bones,  and  of  all  uncleanness."  All  this  was  de- 
signed to  point  out  their  hypocrisy,  in  appearing  to 
be  righteous  when  they  were  full  of  iniquity. 

"  Wo  unto  you  scribes  and  pharisees,  hypocrites! 
because  ye  build  the  tombs  of  the  prophets,  and 
garnish  the  sepulchres  of  the  righteous,  and  say,  if 
we  had  been  in  the  days  of  our  fathers,  we  would 
not  have  been  partakers  with  them  in  the  blood  of 
the  prophets."  All  this  again  was  hypocrisy, 
which  proved  them  to  be  the  children  of  those  who 
killed  the  prophets.  The  Saviour  further  said  to 
his  enemies  ;  "  Fill  ye  up  then  the  measure  of  your 
fathers.  Ye  serpents,  ye  generation  of  vipers ! 
how  can  ye  escape  the  damnation  of  hell  ?" 

Speaking  to  his  disciples  concerning  the  scribes 
and  pharisees,  Jesus  said ;  "  All  their  works  do 
they  to  be  seen  of  men :  they  make  broad  their 
philacterJes,  and  enlarge  the  borders  of  their  gar- 
ments, and  love  the  uppermost  rooms  at  feasts,  and 
the  chief  seats  in  the  synagogues,  and  greetings  in 
the  markets,  and  to  be  called  of  men,  Rabbi,  Rabbi." 

When  these  hypocrites  gave  any  thing  to  the 
poor,  they  would  sound  a  trumpet  before  them  in 
the  Synagogues,  and  in  the  streets,  that  they  might 
have  glory  of  men.  When  they  fasted  they  were 
careful  to  disfigure  their  faces  and  to  appear  with 
sad  countenances,  that  they  might  appear  unto  men 
to  fast.  These  solemn,  but  false  indications  form- 
ed the  refuge  of  lies  which  suitably  become  the  par- 
tial doctrine  and  illiberal  religion  which  they  pro- 
fessed and  practiced,  and  which  the  prophet  repre- 
sented by  a  covenant  with  death  and  an  agreement 
with  hell. 

We  have  already  said  that  there  never  was  but 
one  fal?e  religion,  that  there  never  was  but  one 


327 

false  doctrine ;  this  false  doctrine  and  spurious  re- 
ligion have  always  in  all  ages,  do  now,  and  will  as 
long  as  they  exist  in  the  world  manifest  themselves 
by  rve  righteous,  and  they  rvicktd. 

When  the  advocates  of  partial  religion  talk  of 
the  wicked,  they  always  speak  in  the  third  person. 
"  This  man  receiveth  sinners  and  eateth  with  them." 
He  is  gone  to  be  guest  with  a  man  that  is  a  sinner. 
This  is  the  native  language  of  false  religion.  It  is 
never  heard  to  say,  he  is  come  to  me  a  sinner,  he  re- 
ceiveth  me  a  sinner.  It  never  says,  "this  is  a  faith- 
ful saying  and  worthy  of  all  acceptation, that  Christ 
Jesus  came  into  the  world  to  save  sinners,  of  whom 
I  am  chief." 

When  we  say  that  there  is  but  one  false  doctrine, 
we  mean  that  all  the  doctrines  invented  by  the  wis- 
dom of  this  world  are  one  in  spirit;  they  are  par- 
tial, they  are  full  of  enmity,  they  have  treasures  of 
unmerciful  wrath  in  them;  in  one  word,  you  will 
always  find  that  a  false  doctrine  is  unmerciful  to 
sinners,  but  abundantly  compassionate  to  the  righ- 
teous. All  the  errors  in  the  world  are  but  one  in 
this. 

Those,  who  look  on  themselves  as  righteous,  and 
view  others  as  sinners,  calculate  largely  on  their 
own  safety,  on  the  rich  rewards  which  they  are  to 
receive;  but  are  full  of  expectations  arid  horror  on 
account  of  the  vengeance  that  is  coming  on  the 
\\icked.  This  is  the  case  with  the  pharisee  in  all 
countries,  and  has  been  in  all  ages.  The  old  pbari- 
sees  of  Jerusalem,  those  of  the  Christian  church  of 
every  denomination  are  one  character,  of  one  doc- 
trine, of  one  spirit,  they  all  speak  one  language. 
They  look  out  for  an  overflowing  scourge  to  fall 
on  the  wicked,  but  they  are  secure. 

To  such  people  the  mild,  merciful  doctrine  of 
Jesus  is  an  overflowing  scourge ;  to  such  doctrine, 
that  gospel  which  is  as  the  rain,  which  distils  as  the 
dew  is  as  a  storm  of  hail  which  beats  the  tender 
herb  to  the  ground. 


To  hear  llie  news,  to  understand  the  report  that 
grace,  mercy,  and  peace  are  flowing  to  sinners 
through  a  kind  Redeemer  is  indeed  a  vexation. 

Let  us,  my  hearers,  notice  some  of  the  instances 
of  vexation  occasioned  by  the  good  ness  and  mercy 
of  the  Saviour,  which  are  recorded  in  the  New- 
Testament. 

But  first  let  us  observe  how  exactly  the  pharisees 
were  prepared  to  meet  with  disappointment  and 
vexation.  They  expected  a  Messiah,  and  were 
looking  out  for  him.  They  had  no  doubt  but  he 
would  be  one  of  their  order,  and  would  come  to 
them  as  to  the  only  righteous  people  on  earth. 
They  expected  to  receive  his  full  approbation,  and 
to  hear  all  the  anathemas  which  they  had  been  in 
the  habit  of  pronouncing  on  sinners,  who  had  neg- 
lected to  conform  to  their  religion,  reiterated  by 
their  Messiah  accompanied  with  executive  wrath. 

Under  these  circumstances,  and  with  such  expec- 
tations, the  chief  priests,  scribes,  doctors  of  the  law 
and  pharisees,  at  Jerusalem,  hear  a  report  which  is 
circulated  about  the  city,  of  one  Jesus,  away  in  the 
extreme  part  of  the  country,  in  Galilee  of  the  gen- 
tiles, who  has  undertaken  to  preach.  In  such  a 
case  it  would  be  natural  for  them  to  inquire,  who 
he  was,  and  what  sort  of  a  man,  and  how  he  came 
inducted  into  the  ministry.  They  soon  learn  that 
he  is  the  son  of  a  carpenter,  and  that  he  was  baptis- 
ed by  that  John,  who,  being  possessed  of  the  devil, 
had  the  audacity  to  call  them,  as  holy  as  they  were, 
a  generation  of  vipers.  This  information  gives 
them  disgust. 

Another  report  comes  which  states  what  this 
new  preacher  has  insinuated  respecting  the  scribes 
and  pharisees;  this  report  says,  that  the  preacher 
has  the  impiety  to  tell  his  hearers ;  "  Except  your 
righteousness  shall  exceed  the  righteousness  of  the 
scribes  and  pharisees,  ye  shall  in  no  case  enter  into 
the  kingdom  of  heaven."  This  is  looked  upon  as 


329 

most  profane,  yea  abominable.  There  comes 
another  report,  and  the  news  flies  about  like  light- 
ning, that  this  new  preacher  pretends  to  be  the  Mes- 
siah promised,  and  that  he  works  miracles  in  confir- 
mation of  his  divine  mission  ?  This  is  vexation  in- 
deed. 

My  friends,  can  you  conceive  of  any  thing  that 
could  have  been  a  greater  vexation  to  a  religious 
people,  to  a  people,  who  really  believed  that  they 
were  heaven's  favourites ;  and  were  conscious  to 
themselves  that  they  had  served  God  in  a  most  per- 
fect manner,  than  to  be  told  by  one,  who  could 
heal  the  sick  with  a  word,  cast  out  demons  by  a 
command,  open  the  eyes  of  the  blind,  and  call  the 
dead  to  life,  that  publicans  and  harlots  should  go 
into  the  kingdom  of  heaven  before  them  ?  If  the 
man  who  made  this  declaration,  had  been  an  ordi- 
nary character,  or  if  he  had  been  a  person  of  no  note 
among  the  people,  it  might  not  have  occasioned 
them  any  trouble ;  they  might  have  suffered  it  to 
pass  like  the  unstable  wind,  which  might  the  next 
hour  blow  the  other  way.  But  what  must  have  been 
their  astonishment,  vexation,  and  confusion  on  hear- 
ing this  report  from  the  lips  of  Jesus,  whose  fame 
had  already  extended  through  all  the  country, 
whose  wonderful  miracles  had  already  set  the  peo- 
ple all  in  motion,  after  whom  thousands  and  thou- 
sands were  flocking,  carrying  their  sick,  their  lame, 
their  blind  and  dumb,  and  who  rejoiced  in  the  man- 
ifestations of  the  divine  power  in  healing  all  infir- 
mities among  the  people  ? 

"Publicans  and  harlots  go  into  the  kingdom  of 
God  before  you."  What  a  vexation  !  The  chief 
priests  and  elders  of  the  people,  who  were  in  ex- 
pectation of  the  Messiah,  and  who  had  made  eTery 
preparation  for  his  reception,  which  they  thought 
necessary  were  now  informed  that  publicans  and 
harlots  were  to  go  into  the  kingdom  of  God  before 
them. 

42 


Never  were  people  more  vexed  than  were  tbe 
pharisees  in  the  affair  of  the  man  who  was  born 
blind.  In  the  first  place  they  would  not  believe 
that  he  was  born  blind ;  but  after  they  had  called 
his  parents,  and  were  certified  that  this  was  the  case, 
they  then  asked  him  how  he  had  received  his  sight. 
He  assured  them  that  Jesus  had  opened  his  eyes. 
They  finally  concluded  that  even  if  he  did  open  his 
eyes,  yet  he  was  a  sinner  because  he  had  done  it  on 
.the  sabbath  day.  But  others  said;  "how  can  a 
man  that  is  a  sinner  do  such  miracles,  and  there  was 
a  division  among  them." 

Such  was  the  vexation  occasioned  by  this  aston- 
ishing miracle,  and  by  the  testimony  of  him  on 
whom  it  was  performed,  that  they  cast  him  out  of 
the  Synagogue. 

The  raising  of  Lazarus,  and  the  report  of  this 
fact  caused  great  vexation  among  the  pharisees. 
who  on  this  account,  together  with  the  chief  priests, 
gathered  a  council,  and  said,  what  do  we  ?  for  this 
man  doeth  many  miracles.  If  we  let  him  thus  alone, 
all  men  will  believe  on  him."  And  they  took 
counsel  to  put  him  to  death.  Nor  did  they  think 
that  this  would  be  sufficient  to  prevent  the  evil ; 
they  thought  it  expedient  also  to  put  Lazarus  to 
death,  because  many  of  the  Jews  believed  on  Jesus 
on  account  of  going  to  see  Lazarus,  and  being  made 
acquainted  with  the  fact  of  his  having  been  dead, 
but  raised  up  by  the  power  of  Jesus. 

This  divine  teacher  gave  his  enemies  unspeakable 
vexation  by  charging  them  with  hypocrisy  to  their 
faces,  by  calling  them  serpents,  and  a  generation  of 
vipers,  and  pronouncing  on  them  woes  and  the  dam- 
nation of  hell. 

But  nothing  caused  greater  vexation  to  the  self- 
righteous,  than  the  language  of  Jesus  to  sinners. 
"  Son,  be  of  good  cheer,  thy  sins  be  forgiven  thee  ; 
daughter,  be  of  good  cheer,  thy  sins  be  forgiven 
thee."  For  this  they  charged  him  with  blasphemy. 


331 

This  forgiveness  of  sins,  placed  the  sinner  on  the 
same  footing  with  the  righteous,  which  was  a  vexa- 
tion to  those  who  had  been  at  an  incalculable  ex- 
pense and  trouble  to  become  righteous. 

The  parable  of  the  labourers  was  designed  to  set 
forth  the  impartial  goodness  of  God,  and  the  vexa- 
tion that  the  self-righteous  would  feel  on  hearing  the 
report.  All  the  day  long  did  the  labourers  who 
were  first  hired,  make  their  calculations  how  much 
better  they  were  to  fare  at  evening,  than  those  who 
were  idle  in  the  markets.  And  when  they  saw  them 
come  into  the  vineyard  at  the  eleventh  hour,  they 
were  persuaded  that  they  would  receive  little,  or 
nothing  for  what  they  did ;  but  when  they  saw  them 
paid  off,  and  knew  that  they  received  every  man  a 
penny,  they  were  in  hopes  of  receiving  more,  but 
what  was  their  vexation  when  they  received  their 
penny  also? 

They  murmured,  they  complained,  they  accused 
the  good  man  of  the  house  of  unjust  conduct;  but 
he  told  them  that  he  would  give  unto  the  last  even 
as  unto  them. 

The  parable  of  the  prodigal  and  the  elder  brother 
is  another  representation  of  the  vexation  which  the 
doctrine  of  divine  grace  caused  in  the  minds  of  the 
pharisees.  When  the  elder  brother  was  coming 
from  the  field  at  evening,  he  heard  music  and  danc- 
ing in  the  house  and  great  merriment  and  rejoicing. 
He  sent  a  servant  to  know  the  occasion,  who  return- 
ed and  informed  him  that  his  brother  had  come 
home,  and  that  his  father  had  killed  the  fatted  calf, 
because  he  had  received  him  safe  and  sound. 

O  the  vexation  that  this  report  occasioned !  Ele 
now  looked  back  on  the  tedious  labours  which  he 
for  a  long  time,  "  lo  many  years,"  had  faithfully 
performed  in  the  service  of  his  father,  without  even 
a  kid  to  make  merry  with  his  friends.  All  this  he 
compared  with  the  ease,  and  pleasure  in  which  his 
prodigal  brother  had  passed  his  time,  and  wasted 


332 

liis  father's  property,  and  the  expensive  entertain- 
ment and  sumptuous  feasting  with  which  his  father 
had  welcomed  him  on  his  return.  Such  was  the 
vexation  of  this  toil-worn  labourer,  on  hearing  this 
report,  that  "  he  was  angry  and  would  not  go  in.'1 
INfo,  he  would  not  go  into  his  own  house,  he  would 
not  refresh  himself  on  his  own  provisions,  he  would 
not  return  to  his  own  rest.  His  father  came  out 
and  entreated  him,  but  to  no  effect,  of  which  we  are 
informed. 

My  friends,  what  was  the  matter  which  caused 
this  anger  and  vexation  ?  It  was  simply  this,  the 
father's  compassion,  his  mercy  and  grace  to  the  sin- 
ner, was  like  an  overflowing  scourge,  was  like  a 
storm  of  hail  to  the  malevolent,  unmerciful  senti- 
ments of  this  self-righteous  bigot,  who  felt  as  if  he 
could  have  rejoiced  to  see  his  brother  excluded 
from  all  mercy. 

It  seems  next  to  impossible,  that  any  should  not 
understand  this  case,  and  see  the  difference  between 
the  doctrine  of  the  self-righteous,  and  that  doctrine 
of  divine  grace,  which  gave  such  offence  to  the  ene- 
mies of  Jesus. 

Such  was  their  offence,  such  their  vexation,  that 
they  finally  procured  the  death  of  the  Lord  of  Glory. 
But  by  this  means  they  were  preparing  for  still 
greater  vexation. 

u  God  moves  in  a  mysterious  way, 
"  His  purpose  to  perform." 

After  they  had  crucified  the  merciful  Jusus,  they 
made  careful  exertions  to  prevent  his  disciples  im- 
posing on  the  people  a  report  of  his  resurrection. 
A  stone  was  set  at  the  mouth  of  the  sepulcher,  and 
a  guard  of  soldiers  to  watch. 

How  hush,  how  still  is  the  world !  Every  thing 
is  now  secure.  No  multitudes  now  flocking  in 
crowds  to  hear  the  preaching  of  Jesus,  no  poor  blind 
one  grouping  after  him  who  could  give  sight  to  the 


333 

blind,  none  rushing  along  the  streets  with  their  sick, 
lame,  and  possessed  of  devils,  to  find  him  who  con- 
troled  all  maladies,  no  little  children  in  the  streets, 
crying  hosannah  to  the  son  of  David,  blessed  is  he 
that  cometh  in  the  name  of  the  Lord.  Where  are 
the  disciples  of  the  crucified  Jesus  ?  They  have 
fled,  like  timorous  lambs  from  prowling  wolves. 
None  dare  show  themselves.  The  powers  of  dark- 
ness seem  to  triumph. 

The  scene  changes,  all  Jerusalem  is  in  astonish- 
ment. The  disciples  are  publicly  preaching  the 
resurrection  of  Jesus ;  are  endowed  with  the  holy 
ghost  and  the  gift  of  tongues,  so  that  men  of  ail  na- 
tions hear  them  speak  in  their  own  language,  the 
wonderful  works  of  God. 

The  report  of  these  things  must  have  vexed  the 
chief  priests,  the  elders,  the  scribes  and  the  pharisees 
beyond  all  description.  They  now  saw  all  their 
efforts  fail,  and  their  hopes  blasted.  The  Apostles 
accused  them  of  having  murdered  Jesus,  whom  God 
had  annointed;  they  performed  most  astonishing 
miracles  in  confirmation  of  their  testimony.  When 
Peter  and  John  restored  the  lame  man  in  the  tem- 
ple before  all  the  people,  and  declared  that  this  mi- 
racle was  wrought  through  faith  in  the  name  of  Je- 
sus, whom  God  had  raised  from  the  dead,  these  ene- 
mies of  the  gospel  were  "  grieved  that  they  taught 
the  people,  and  preached  through  Jesus  the  resur- 
rection of  the  dead." 

After  this  manner  the  word  of  God  prospered, 
the  gospel  spread ;  and  though  it  was  the  rain  of 
righteousness  and  the  gentle  dew  of  peace  divine  to 
those  who  had  professed  no  religion,  had  formed  no 
covenant  with  death,  nor  agreement  with  hell,  yet 
to  the  pharisees,  to  the  scribes,  to  the  chief  priests, 
and  to  the  elders  it  was  an  overflowing  scourge,  it 
was  as  a  storm  of  hail  that  beats  the  tender  herb  to 
the  earth. 


334 

The  report  of  the  conversion  of  Saul,  of  his  re- 
nouncing their  superstitions,  deserting  the  cause  of 
persecuting  the  name  of  Jesus,  and  his  preaching 
the  gospel  to  the  gentiles,  was  calculated  to  give 
them  much  perplexity  and  great  .vexation. 

Thus  far,  dear  friends,  we  have  noticed  things 
which  took  place  in  ancient  times;  let  us  now  en- 
quire if  any  thing  similar  is  known  in  our  day?  Yes, 
we  have  those  who  profess  the  name  of  Jesus,  say 
unto  him,  Lord,  Lord,  and  yet  are  of  the  senti- 
ments and  description  of  the  old  pharisees.  They 
have  made  a  covenant  with  death  and  an  agreement 
with  hell.  Death  and  hell  compose  their  religion. 
Do  they  not  hide  themselves  in  a  refuge  of  lies  ? 
Do  they  not  for  a  pretence  make  long  prayer  ? 
but  devour  widow's  houses  ?  Do  they  not  appeal- 
like  whited  sepulchers  outward,  and  yet  within  are 
they  not  full  of  extortion  ?  Do  they  not  lie  with 
their  countenances,  by  disfiguring  their  faces  ?  Did 
you  never  see  professors  of  religion  wear  a  very 
different  face  at  one  time  than  at  another?  Yes, 
you  reply,  but  you  thought  it  was  because  they 
were  a  most  Godly  people.  Then  you  have  given 
them  their  reward,  for  this  opinion  of  yours  is  all 
that  they  disfigured  their  faces  for. 

These  modern  pharisees  are  the  most  zealous  peo- 
ple in  religion,  they  look  upon  themselves  as  the 
favourites  of  heaven,  but  those  who  do  not  sub- 
scribe to  their  agreements  and  covenants,  and  take 
shelter  in  their  refuge  of  deceit,  they  esteem  as  ob- 
jects of  the  divine  wrath  which  is  ready  to  burst 
upon  them,  and  lingers  to  blast  them  in  everlasting 
woe. 

To  these  enemies  of  the  meek,  humble,  kind  and 
merciful  doctrine  and  religion  of  Jesus,  the  report, 
which  God  is  sending  forth  at  this  eventful  period, 
of  his  impartial  grace,  and  his  tender  mercies  which 
are  over  all  his  works,  is  a  most  grevious  vexation. 

When  the  divine  testimony  is  brought  to  them, 


335 

which  certifies  that  God  "  will  have  all  men  to  be 
saved  and  to  come  unto  the  knowledg  of  the  truth," 
that  Jesus  "gave  himself  a  ransom  for  all  to  be  testi- 
fied in  due  time,"  that  "where  sin  abounded,  grace 
did  much  more  abound,"  that  "as  by  the  offence  of 
one,judgment  came  upon  all  men  to  condemnation; 
even  so  by  the  righteousness  of  one,  the  free  gift 
came  upon  all  men  unto  justification  of  life,'5  that 
as  in  Adam  all  die,  even  so  in  Christ  shall  all  be 
made  alive,"  in  power,  in  glory,  in  honor,  in  incor- 
ruption  and  immortality,  this  faithful  report  is  a 
vexation. 

Stung  with  resentment,  they  exclaim,  heresy,  de- 
lusion, a  dangerous  doctrine,  a  doctrine  pleasing 
to  the  carnal  mind,  and  which  tends  to  all  manner 
of  vice.  They  complain  that  this  doctrine  holds 
out  no  reward  for  righteousness,  if  God  has  mercy 
on  the  sinner,  then  there  is  no  encouragement  to 
serve  him  ;  if  sinners  are  not  to  be  punished  eter- 
nally, it  is  no  matter  what  th?y  do.  So  murmured 
the  labourers  who  bore  the  burthen  and  the  heat  of 
the  day,  at  the  good  man  who  humbled  their  pride 
by  making  the  last  equal  with  them. 

Their  eye  was  evil  because  goodness  had  extend- 
ed beyond  the  narrow  limits  of  their  creed.  They 
had  lotted  on  the  gratification  which  they  expect- 
ed in  seeing  those,  who  spent  so  much  of  their  time 
in  idleness, destitute  and  pennyless.  Similar  calcu- 
lations are  now  made,  and  pretended  saints  are 
exulting  in  the  expectation  of  the  joys  which  they 
are  to  inherit  in  heaven  in  seeing  sinners  in  endless 
perdition. 

So  complained  the  elder  brother,  because  his 
father  kindly  received  the  prodigal  and  killed  for 
his  entertainment  the  fatted  calf.  Such  was  his 
resentment  that  he  would  not  go  into  the  house. 
Similar  resentment  is  now  manifested,  and  the 
proud  boasting  pharisee  is  heard  to  say,  "  if  sinners 
are  going  to  heaven  I  wish  riot  to  bear  them  com- 
pany." 


336 

O  that  these  deceived  souls  could  he  introduced 
to,  and  form  an  acquaintance  with  so  great  stran- 
gers as  they  are  to  themselves. 

Then  should  we  hear  from  them  a  different 
language.  Then  would  they  say  if  there  be  mercy 
for  sinner?,  then  is  there  a  ray  of  hope  for  us.  If 
Christ  Jesus  came  into  the  world  to  save  sinners, 
then  are  we  the  objects  of  his  unmerited  favour. 

My  Christian  friends,  you  are  most  humbly  and 
affectionately  entreated  not  to  construe  the  faith- 
fulness of  this  discourse,  to  signifiy  that  the  speak- 
er harbours  one  unfriendly  feeling  towards  any 
denomination  or  name  in  the  world.  The  soul 
object  is  to  set  truth  before  you,  to  show  the  differ- 
ence between  true  and  false  religion,  to  endear 
the  character,  the  doctrine,  and  spirit  of  Jesus  to 
your  hearts  ;  and  to  give  you  occasion  to  trust  and 
to  rejoice  in  his  grace. 

"  Let   Pharisees  of  high   esteem, 
Their  faith   and  zeal   declare; 
Ail  their  religion   is  a  dream, 
If  love  be  wanting  there." 

God  is  love,  and  love  worketh  no  ill.  Through 
all  worlds  and  to  all  beings,  God  is  love.  With 
him  there  is  no  variableness  nor  shadow  of  turn- 
ing. What  he  has  been,  and  what  he  is  now,  is 
what  he  will  forever  remain. 

Let  us,  my  dear  friends,  imitate  our  Father  in 
heaven,  let  us  love  our  neighbours  as  ourselves, 
let  us  love  our  enemies  and  pray  for  them. 


No.  22. 

LECTURE  SERMON, 

DELIVERED  AT  THE 

SECOND  UNIVERSALIST  MEETING.  IN  BOSTON, 
MAY  23,  1819. 


BY  HOSEA  BALLOU,  PASTOR. 

Published  Semi-Monthly  by  Henry  Bowen,  Congress-street. 

ROMANS,  y.  8. 

411  But  God  eommendeth  his  lore  toward  us,  in  that,  while  tee  ivere  yet 
sinners,  Christ  died  for  «j." 

THE  general  subject,  on  which  the  Apostle  la- 
boured, which  led  him  to  the  statement  made  in 
our  text,  was  to  show  that  the  justification  of  man 
unto  spiritual  life,  depended  on  a  covenant  of  pro- 
mise, and  not  on  a  law  of  works.  In  the  preceding 
chapter  our  author  is  remarkably  explicit,  where  he 
says,  "  Now  to  him  that  worketh  is  the  reward  not 
reckoned  of  grace,  but  of  debt.  But  to  him  that 
worketh  not,  but  believeth  on  him  that  justifieth  the 
ungodly,  his  faith  is  counted  for  righteousnes." 
And  speaking  of  the  faith  of  Abraham,  even  before 
circumcision,  he  says,  "  For  the  promise  that  he 
should  be  the  heir  of  the  world,  was  not  to  Abraham 
or  to  his  seed,  through  the  law,  but  through  the 
righteousness  of  faith.  For  if  they  which  are  of 
the  law  be  heirs,  faith  is  made  void,  and  the  pro- 
mise made  of  none  effect.  Therefore  it  is  of  faith, 
that  it  might  be  by  grace  ;  to  the  end  the  promise 
might  be  sure  to  all  the  seed  :  not  to  that  only  which 
is  of  the  law,  but  to  that  also  which  is  of  the  faith  of 
Abraham,  who  is  the  father  of  us  all*"  The  faith  of 

43 

. 


338 

which  the  Apostle  here  speaks,  is  the  same  which 
he  calls  "  the  covenant  of  promise"  in  Ephesians  2. 
12.  It  is  an  egregious  mistake  to  suppose  that 
Abraham's  believing  in  the  promise  of  God,  is  the 
"righteousness  of  faith,"  by  which  he  was  consti- 
tuted the  heir  of  the  world;  for  Abraham  could 
not  believe  the  promise  that  he  should  be  the  heir 
of  the  world  until  such  promise  was  communicated 
to  him,  and  this  promise  could  not  have  been  com- 
municated to  him  at  an  earlier  date  than  the  estab- 
lishment of  its  own  truth  in  the  purpose  of  him  who 
made  the  promise. 

This  covenant  of  promise  is  the  FAITH,  of  which 
the  Apostle  again  speaks  in  the  beginning  of  this 
chapter  as  follows;  "  Therefore,  being  justified  by 
FAITH,  we  have  peace  with  God,  through  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ."  That  this  FAITH,  by  which  we  are 
justified,  is  not  our  act  of  believing,  will  appear 
evident  by  the  connection  in  which  the  Apostle  here 
places  it.  That  we  may  understand  this  subject 
clearly,  we  must  disregard  the  division  of  these  two 
chapters,  and  read  the  lastTerse  of  the  fourth  chap- 
ter and  the  first  of  the  fifth  together.  Speaking 
of  Jesus,  the  Apostle  says,  "  Who  was  delivered 
for  our  ofterices,  and  was  raised  again  for  our 
justification.  Therefore  being  justified  by  faith, 
we  have  peace  with  God,  through  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ."  Here  it  is  evident  that  the  inspired 
Apostle  makes  the  resurrection  of  Christ,  and  the 
faith  by  which  we  are  justified  the  same ;  by  which 
it  is  evident,  that  by  FAITH  he  no  more  meant  the 
act  of  believing,  than  he  meant  that  the  resurrection 
of  Jesus,  for  our  justification,  was  the  act  of  be- 
lieving. 

This  FAITH,  which  is  the  covenant  of  promise,  the 
Apostle  distinguishes  most  clearly  from  the  act  of 
believing  in  chapter  3d,  as  follows ;  "  For  what  if 
some  did  not  believe  ?  shall  their  unbelief  make  the 
faith  of  God  without  effect  ?  God.  forbid  :  yea,  let 


339 

God  be  true,  but  every  man  a  liar."  No  one  will 
suppose  that  the  faith  of  God  is  his  act  of  believing, 
for  the  act  of  believing;  is  a  consequence  resulting 
from  the  power  of  evidence  in  the  mind,  which 
power  can  never  act  in  the  mind  of  him  who  is  om- 
niscient. But  this  FAITH  of  God  is  his  covenant  of 
promise,  made  known  to  Abraham  four  hundred 
and  thirty  years  before  the  giving  of  the  law  by 
Moses ;  concerning  which  covenant  our  author 
speaks  to  the  Gallatians  as  follows  ;  "  And  this  I 
say,  that  the  covenant  that  was  confirmed  before  of 
God  in  Christ,  the  law,  which  was  four  hundred  and 
thirty  years  after,  cannot  disannul,  that  it  should 
make  the  promise  of  none  effect."  This  covenant 
of  promise  this  author  again  calls  faith  in  the  1  Hh 
of  Hebrews.  "  Now  faith  is  the  substance  of  things 
hoped  for  and  the  evidence  of  things  not  seen.*' 
The  substance  of  what  we  hope  for  is  not  our  act  of 
believing,  but  the  thing  in  which  we  believe. 

It  was  thought  needful  to  be  thus  particular  on 
this  subject,  for  two  reasons. 

I.  To  expose  the  common  error  which  supposes, 
that  our  act  of  believing  is  required  as  a  condition 
of  our  justification  before  God.     This  error  has  so 
confused  the  minds  of  professors  of  Christianity, 
that   they  know   not   how   to  explain  their  own 
thoughts.     They  believe  that  God  requires  our  act 
of  believing  as  a  condition  of  our  justification;  and 
it  is  constantly  held  up  and  urged  that  our  ever- 
lasting destruction  will  be  the  just  recompense  of 
our  unbelief.     But  if  we  ask  what  there  is  for  us  to* 
believe,  there  is  no  answer.     For  if  the  thing  to  be 
believed  were  stated,  the  next  question  would  be, 
shall  the  unbelief  of  man  make  the  faith  of  God 
without  effect  ?     And, 

II.  Because  it  was  in  the  fulfilling  of  this  cove- 
nant of  promise,  that  God  commended  his  love  to 
sinners  by  the  death  and  resurrection  of  Jesus. 


340 

The  particular  mode  by  which  the  Apostle  pre- 
sented the  testimony  contained  in  our  text  was  by 
drawing  a  comparison  between  the  compassion  or 
goodness  of  man,  and  the  compassion  or  goodness  of 
God.  The  following  are  his  words;  "  For  when 
we  were  yet  without  strength,  in  due  time  Christ 
died  for  the  ungodly.  For  scarcely  for  a  righteous 
man  will  one  die ;  yet  perad venture  for  a  good  man 
some  would  even  dare  to  die.  But  God  commend- 
eth  his  love  toward  us,  in  that,  while  we  were  yet  sin- 
ners,Christ  died  for  us."  Here  the  comparison  is  clear 
and  striking  to  the  mind;  and  evidently  shows  thai 
the  design  of  the  Apostle  was  to  show  that  the  love 
of  God  to  sinners  is  vastly  stronger  than  the  love  of 
man  toward  man. 

The  first  particular  which  we  shall  consider  as 
proved  by  the  testimony  of  our  text  is,  that  neither 
sin  nor  any  thing  else  was  ever  the  cause  of  enmity 
in  God  toward  man. 

Though  this  proposition  is  of  immense  conse- 
quence, it  seems  to  have  been  overlooked  by  our 
divines,  who  have  constantly  represented  the  divine 
Being  to  be  full  of  wrath  and  tremendous  indigna- 
tion against  sinners.  And  yet  the  passage  under 
consideration  is  a  direct  and  plain  testimony  against 
all  that  has  ever  been  said  on  this  subject. 

The  hearer  is  requested  to  notice,  with  attention, 
the  two  propositions  which  are  in  direct  opposition 
to  each  other,  and  which  are  the  foundations  of  true 
and  false  doctrine.  One  proposition  asserts  that 
God  loves  sinners,  and  that  nothing  ever  can  cause 
him  to  do  otherwise  ;  and  the  other  contends  that 
God  hates  the  sinner,  and  will  eternally  exercise  un- 
merciful wrath  on  the  transgressor.  If  one  of  these 
be  true,  the  other  must  be  false  ;  they  cannot  both 
be  true,  nor  can  they  both  be  false.  But  which  is 
true  ? 

As  there  is  like  to  be  some  dispute  on  this  subject, 
and  as  the  hearer  will  wish  to  have  it  so  conducted; 


341 

as  to  make  a  clear  distinction,  both  between  the 
parties,  and  their  respective  arguments,  we  will 
give  to  the  parties  distinguishing  names.  The  par- 
ty, who  contends  that  God  loves  the  sinner,  we  will 
call  LIGHT,  and  the  one  who  contends  for  the  con- 
trary proposition  we  will  call  DARKNESS. 

Do  you  ask  why  these  names  are  chosen  ?  Be- 
cause light  seems  to  be  expressive  of  love,  and  dark- 
ness of  hatred.  And  the  beloved  John  says,  "  He 
that  loveth  his  brother  abideth  in  the  light— But  he 
that  hateth  his  brother  is  in  darkness." 

Let  us  hear  what  darkness  argues  in  support  of 
his  favourite  proposition,  viz.  that  God  hates  the 
sinner. 

He  says,  as  God  is  a  Being  of  infinite  holiness 
and  purity  he  cannot  love  unholiness  and  impurity, 
but  must  consistently  with  his  own  essential  attri- 
butes, hate  sin  in  an  exact  proportion  to  his  love  of 
righteousness ;  and  as  the  sinner  is  not  righteous, 
but  sinful ;  is  not  holy,  but  unholy ;  is  not  pure, 
but  impure,  God  must  of  necessity  hate  the  sinner. 

Light  replies;  Though  I  grant  your  premises, 
yet  I  cannot  concede  to  your  conclusion.  So  far 
from  allowingyour  conclusion  to  beajustdeduction 
from  your  premises,  I  shall  contend  that  it  is  in  di- 
rect opposition  to  them,  and  if  it  could  be  maintain- 
ed as  a  truth,  it  must  be  by  disproving  the  argument 
from  which  you  deduce  it. 

The  amount  of  your  argument  is,  that  God  is  op- 
posed to  sin,  This  I  grant.  Now  tell  me  Dark- 
ness, what  is  sin  ? 

Sin  is  the  transgression  of  the  law.     What  does 

o 

the  law  require  ?  Thou  shalt  love  the  Lord  thy 
God,  with  all  thy  heart,  and  with  all  thy  strength, 
and  thou  shalt  love  thy  neighbour  as  thyself. 

Rightly  answered.  Now,  Darkness,  do  you  not 
see  that  hatred  is  the  trangression  of,  and  the  only- 
sin  that  can  be  committed  against  this  law  ?  If  it 
be  sin  for  man  to  hate  God,  is  it  holiness  for  God 


342 

to  hate  man  !  In  room  of  haling  sin,  you  contend 
i  hat  (.iod  hates  the  sinner,  that  is,  he  hates  the  man 
\vho  hates  him.  Thus  you  deny  your  own  premi- 
ses. For  there  is  no  more  holiness  in  God's  hatiug 
man,  than  there  is  in  man's  hating  God  ;  there  is  no 
more  righteousness  in  any  supposed  enmity  in  God 
toward  man,  than  there  is  in  man's  enmity  toward 
God. 

Darkness  says,  that  this  argument  is  blasphemy, 
that  it  accuses  God  with  unholiness  and  sin. 

Light  denies  the  charge,  arid  says ;  It  is  you, 
Darkness,  that  accuses  God  with  this  unholy  spirit 
of  hatred.  To  illustrate  the  subject  light  uses  the 
following  methaphor. 

The  parent  of  a  family  of  children  gives  to  his 
offspring^  a  law  which  requires  them  all  to  love  him 
sincerely  and  to  love  each  other;  but  these  child- 
ren fall  out  by  the  way,  get  wrong  notions  respect- 
ing their  parent's  character  and  law,  and  are  rilled 
with  hatred  toward  him,  toward  his  law,  and  toward 
one  another.  In  consequence  of  this  the  parent,  in 
room  of  loving  his  children  as  he  did  when  he  first 
gave  them  this  law,  now  hates  them  and  is  full  of 
enmity  towards  his  disobedient  offspring.  What  a 
sad  scene  is  here !  The  children  are  enemies  to 
iheir  parent,  and  what  is  worse,  the  parent  is  an  ene- 
my to  his  children ! 

Let  candor  judge  in  this  case,  let  enlightened  rea- 
son decide  the  question,  which  is  worst,  for  the  child 
to  hate  the  parent,  or  for  the  parent  to  hate  the 
child  !  Though  the  light  shmeth  in  darkness,  yet 
the  darkness  comprehendeth  it  not. 

If  the  death  of  Christ  for  sinners  was  a  commen- 
dation of  the  love  of  God  toward  us,  it  certainly 
proves,  beyond  all  contradiction,  that  sin,  nor  any 
thing  else  had  caused  any  hatred  or  enmity  in  God 
toward  man. 

The  second  thing  which  we  shall  consider  as  prov- 
ed by  the  declaration  of  our  text  is,  that  the  com- 


343 

mon  opinion  and  doctrine  of  (he  church,  which  has 
represented  the  death  of  Christ  as  necessary  in  or- 
der to  reconcile  God  to  mankind  is  erroneous. 

This  error  has  been  exposed  and  disproved  in 
some  of  our  former  lectures,  but  as  it  is  an  error  of 
such  vast  magnitude,  involving  such  palpable  ab- 
.  surdities,  representing  God  as  a  changeable. Being; 
and  as  it  is  so  generally  believed  among  various  de- 
nominations, it  seems  proper  to  notice  it  in  our  dis- 
course from  the  words  under  consideration,  by 
which  the  error  is  so  fully  exploded. 

The  error  under  consideration  supposes,  that 
mankind  in  consequence  of  sin,  was  under  the  divine 
wrath  of  God,  which  required  the  endless  misery  of 
the  transgressor  :  and  that  Jesus  Christ  suffered  the 
wrath  of  God  in  room  and  stead  of  the  sinner,  by 
which  God  became  reconciled  and  satisfied.  The 
statement  is  made  thus  plain,  that  the  hearer  may- 
have  a  distinct  view  of  the  subject,  and  be  able  to 
judge  after  hearing  what  may  be  offered  on  it. 

That  this  testimony  is  by  no  means  too  high  col- 
oured may  be  seen  by  the  following  quotations  from 
our  hymns.  But  before  we  attend  to  the  quota- 
tions, let  it  be  observed,  that  we  hold  these  hymns, 
in  general,  in  high  estimation,  and  the  authors  of 
them  as  bright  and  shining  lights  in  the  Christian 
constellation  ;  but  after  all  we  are  disposed  to  do 
ourselves  justice  by  gathering  the  good  into  vessels, 
and  by  casting  the  bad  away. 

"  Once  we  were  fallen,  O  how  lowl 
Just  on  the  brink  of  endless  woe." 
"  Sinners  to  save  from  endless  woe?. 
The  wrath  divine  he  sinks  beneath." 
'  Think,'  how  his  side  was  piero'd  for  you. 
T"  appease  the  wrath  divine." 
"  He  oq  Calvary's  summit  di'd  : 
God,  your  Father's  satisfi'd." 
"  Sinners  to  save  from  endless  woe. 
The  Father's  frown  he  sinks  beneath." 
'"  Tis  fmish'd — Heaven  is  reconcil'd  r 


344 

"  The  wrath  of  an  offended  God, 
In  sweet  oblivion  laid." 

"  And  sinners  freed  from  endless  pains, 
Own  him  their  Saviour  and  their  head." 

Here  are  endless  woes,  endless  pains,  Divine  wrath, 
the  Father's  wrath,  the  wrath  of  an  offended  God, 
an  unreconciled  heaven,  all  which  stood  threatening 
mankind,  but  were  poured  forth  on  the  devoted 
head  of  Jesus,  by  which  we  are  saved  from  the  wrath 
of  God. 

My  brethren,  such  language  as  this  certainly  re- 
presents our  Father  in  heaven,  to  be  a  changeable 
Being,  and  a  Being  capable  of  exercising  the  great- 
est possible  enmity.  It  supposes  that  our  merciful 
Father  was  so  full  of  wrath,  that  he  was  just  on  the 
point  of  sending  mankind  to  a  state  of  endless  woe, 
when  Jesus  stept  between  us  and  harm,  snatched 
the  thunderbolt  from  the  uplifted  hand  of  stern  jus- 
tice, and  received  its  burning  vengeance  in  his  own 
innocent  bosom,  at  which  God  was  satisfied. 

This  is  the  theme  our  Christian  doctors  have  in- 
culcated and  our  Christian  poets  have  sung,  but  it  is 
the  blackness  of  darkness  which  has  obscured  the 
beauty  of  the  Divine  countenance  for  ages,  and 
caused  the  mind  to  wander  in  the  labyrinth  of  error. 

This  error  is  found  in  that  creed,  which  lay  on 
our  cradles  in  our  infancy,  and  our  dear  mothers 
taught  us  to  repeat  with  infant  lips,  and  to  say,  "All 
mankind  by  the  fall,  lost  communion  with  God,  are 
under  his  wrath  and  curse  ;  and  so  made  liable  to 
all  the  miseries  of  this  life,  to  death  itself,  and  to 
the  pains  of  hell  forever." 

In  opposition  to  this  erroneous  representation, 
let  us  place  our  text  together  with  a  few  concurrent 
passages. 

"But  Godcommendethhislovetowardus,  in  that, 
while  we  were  yet  sinners,  Christ  died  for  us.  God 
so  loved  the  world,  that  lie  gave  his  only  begotton 
Son,  that  whosoever  believeth  on  him  should  not 


345 

perish,  but  have  everlasting  life.  Herein  is  love, 
.not  that  we  loved  God,  but  that  he  loved  us,  and 
sent  his  Son  to  be  the  propitiation  for  our  sins. 
But  God,  who  is  rich  in  mercy,  for  his  great  love 
wherewith  he  loved  us,  even  when  we  were  dead  in 
sins, 'hath  quickened  us  together  with  Christ." 

These  passages,  which  are  but  a  specimen  of  the 
gospel,  fully  prove  the  following  facts. 

I.  That  God  loved  the  sinful  world  of  mankind 
with  a  great  love. 

II.  That  in  consequence  of  this  love  he  sent  his 
Son  into  the  world  to  be  the  propitiation  for  our 
sins.     And, 

III.  That  in  consequence  of  the  love  which  God 
had  toward  those  who  were  dead  in  sins,  he  quick- 
ened them  together  with  Christ.     Now  just  as  plain 
as  these  obvious  facts  are  proved  by  the  testimony 
already  recited,  so  evident  it  is  that  the  death  of 
Christ  was  never  necessary  to  reconcile  our  heaven- 
ly Father  to  us  ;  but  was  a  manifestation  of  his  un- 
changeable love  toward  us. 

The  third  particular  which  you  are  invited  to 
contemplate  relative  to  our  text  is,  that  its  subject 
belongs  to  that  covenant  of  promise  which  was  the 
Apostle's  theme  which  led  him  to  speak  these  words. 
That  we  may  have  a  clear  view  of  this,  let  us  first 
examine  the  character  of  the  promise  made  to  Abra- 
ham, by  which  he  was  constituted  the  heir  of  the 
world  and  the  Father  of  us  all ;  and  then  bring  our 
text  to  compare  with  the  promise,  that  their  union 
may  be  visible.  The  promise  to  Abraham  reads 
thus,  "  In  thee  shall  all  families  of  the  earth  be  bles- 
sed." St.  Paul's  comment  on  this  promise  in  his 
epistle  to  the  Gallatians  is  as  follows,  "  And  the 
scriptures,  foreseeing  that  God  would  justify  the 
heathen  through  faith,  preached  before  the  gospel 
unto  Abraham,  saying,  in  thee  shall  all  nations  be 
blessed."  By  this  passage  we  learn,  that  the  bles- 
sing which  God  promised  to  all  the  nations  of  tho 
44 


346 

earth  was  justification  through  faith  ;  which  faith 
we  have  proved  to  be  the  covenant  of  promise,  or 
the  faith  of  God  which  cannot  be  made  void  by  the 
unbelief  of  man.  Relative  to  this  justification  our 
Apostle  says  to  the  Romans  ;  "  For  all  have  sinned 
and  come  short  of  the  glory  of  God  ;  being  justified 
freely  hy  his  grace,  through  the  redemption  that  is 
in  Christ  Jesus."  And  again,  in  the  chapter  where 
our  text  is  recorded,  he  says ;  "  Therefore,  as  by 
the  offence  of  one,  judgment  came  upon  all  men 
unto  condemnation,  even  so  by  the  righteousness  of 
one,  the  free  gift  came  upon  all  men  unto  justifica- 
tion of  life." 

In  the  light  of  the  divine  promise  to  Abraham, 
which  the  passages  here  quoted  present,  we  can  see 
most  clearly,  that  the  gospel  of  eternal  life  was  pro- 
mised to  all  mankind,  as  the  bountiful,  unbought, 
unasked  favour  of  our  heavenly  Father.  And  this 
favour,  when  stated  in  promise  to  Abraham,  was, 
as  it  now  remains,  the  necessary  production  of  the 
divine,  unchangeable  love  of  God  to  mankind, 
which  never  was,  nor  can  be  made  less  by  the  sin 
of  the  world.  Having  this  view  of  the  goodness  of 
God,  we  seethe  divine  harmony  of  our  text  with  the 
covenant  of  promise.  "  God  commendeth  his  love 
toward  us,  in  that,  while  we  were  yet  sinners,  Christ 
died  for  us."  The  same  covenant  love  which 
was  manifested  to  Abraham  four  hundred  and  thir- 
ty years  before  the  giving  of  the  law,  by  Moses,  is 
now  commended  toward  mankind,  while  yet  in  sin, 
by  the  de'ath  of  him  in  whom  all  the  families  of  the 
earth  are  blessed  with  justification.  In  relation  to 
this  divine  subject  Jesus  said  to  the  Jews  ;  "  Your 
father  Abraham  rejoiced  to  see  my  day  ;  and  he 
saw  it,  and  was  glad." 

The  fourth  particular  subject  belonging  to  our 
text,  to  which  your  attention  is  solicited,  is  embrac- 
ed in  the  following  question:  Why  did  Christ  die 
for  us  ?  We  have  already  proved  that  there  was 


347 

no  necessity  of  his  dying  in  order  to  procure  the  fa- 
vour of  God  toward  sinners,  for  if  that  had  been  the 
case,  his  death  could  not  have  been  a  commendatiou 
of  the  divine  love.  And  indeed,if  there  were  any  need 
of  more  proof  on  this  subject,  than  has  been  pre- 
sented, we  should  find  all  deficiencies  supplied,  by 
the  prayer  of  Jesus  vxhen  dying  on  the  cross. 

Let  us,  my  friends,  with  profound  solemnity,  lis- 
ten to  these  words,  \\hichcontain  more  true  divinity, 
more  pure  unadulterated  gospel,  than  all  the  creeds 
which  have  been  written  since  the  world  began. 
"  Father  forgive  them,  for  they  know  not  what  they 
do."  Why  did  he  not  say  ;  "  Father,  forgive  them, 
for  I  have  now  suffered  thy  wrath  which  burned 
against  them ;  I  have  drank  the  cup  of  thy  fury 
which  was  prepared  for  them;  I  have  borne  that 
they  may  never  bear  thy  righteous  ire?"  If  all  this 
had  been  true,  why  should  he  pray  as  he  did,  and 
request  that  God  would  forgive  them?  If  the  Fath- 
er had  exacted  a  full  penalty  for  their  sins,  of  his 
son,  how-  could  he  after  this  be  called  on  to  forgive 
them  ?  But  the  reason,  the  plea  which  the  dying 
Saviour  stated  in  his  prayer,  was,  "  For  they  know 
not  what  they  do." 

Our  question  remains.  Why  did  Christ  die  for 
us  ?  How  are  we  benefited  by  his  death  ?  Be  pa- 
tient, we  still  reply  in  the  negative.  Christ  did  not 
die  for  us,  that  we  might  avoid  condemnation  if  we 
commit  sin,  nor  did  he  suffer  for  us,  that  we  might 
not  be  punished  for  faults  if  we  commit  them.  This 
we  know  by  our  experience  and  by  his  word.  We 
know  by  experience,  if  we  sin  we  feel  condemned, 
and  this  we  must  feel  until  the  condemnation  is  re- 
moved by  repentance.  And  we  know  by  the  words 
of  Jesus,  that,  in  place  of  his  suffering  in  our  room 
and  stead,  as  our  erroneous  doctrines  have  taught 
us,  he  will  render  unto  every  man  according  to  his 
works. 


348 

Why  then  did  he  die  for  us  ?  The  answer  is  in 
our  text.  He  died  to  commend  the  love  of  God 
toward  us  sinners.  He  died  for  us,  that  he  might 
take  away  our  sins.  "  Behold  the  lamb  of  God, 
which  taketh  away  the  sin  of  the  world."  He  died, 
the  just  for  the  unjust,  that  he  might  bring  us  to 
God.  He  suffered  for  us,  to  set  us  an  example, 
that  we  should  follow  his  steps.  He  died  for  us, 
that  he  might  bring  life  and  immortality  to  light 
through  his  resurrection.  He  died,  rose  and  reviv- 
ed, that  he  might  be  Lord,  both  of  the  dead  and  the 
living.  He  died  and  rose  again,  that  the  scriptures 
of  the  prophets  might  be  fulfilled,  and  the  ministry 
of  reconciliation  be  established.  He  suffered  and 
died  to  show  us  how  sin  and  all  moral  evil  are  to  be 
overcome,  by  rendering  good  for  evil,  love  for  hat- 
red, kindness  for  unkindness,  and  mercy  for  wrath. 

Four  important  particulars  may  be  distinctly  no- 
ticed which  rendered  the  death  and  resurrection  of 
Christ  of  vast  utility  to  mankind. 

I.  To  commend  and  make  known  the  unchange- 
able love  and  mercy  of  God  to  a  sinful  world,  there- 
by to  bring  sinner's  to  repentance  and  to  be  recon- 
ciled to  God. 

II.  To  fulfil  all  that  the  prophets  had  written 
concerning  him,  that  the  authenticity  of  divine  reve- 
lation and  the  doctrine  of  the  gospel  might  be  suc- 
cessfully communicated  to  the  gentile  nations. 

III.  That  the  patient  sufferings  which  he  endur- 
ed for  the   benefit  of  his  enemies  and  the  whole 
world,  might  ever  remain  as  an  example  for  his  dis- 
ciples to  imitate,  in  all  faithfulness,  patience,  and 
resignation  to  the  will  of  God.     And, 

IV.  That  he  might  bring  life  and  immortality  to 
light  by  his  glorious  resurrection ;  and   manifest 
the  truth  of  a  future  happy  existence  for  mankind. 

If  the  mind  will  be  serious  and  candid,  it  will  at 
once  acknowledge  that  these  four  particulars,  when 
viewed  in  their  harmony  and  proper  connection, 


349 

when  considered  in  relation  to  the  innumerable 
blessings  which  they  have  already  produced,  and 
promise  to  produce  in  future,  are  altogether  wor- 
thy of  the  wisdom,  power,  and  goodness  of  our 
heavenly  Father. 

But  to  pretend  that  it  was  necessary  for  Christ 
to  suffer  and  die  to  appease  the  wrath  of  our  mer- 
ciful Father  in  heaven,  is  the  most  unaccountable 
perversion  of  divine  truth,  of  which  the  vain  imagi- 
nation of  benighted  humanity  was  ever  capable. 

The  fifth  particular  subject  to  which  our  text 
seems  to  invite  our  most  careful  notice  is,  that  the 
love  and  mercy  of  God  toward  sinners,  commended 
to  us  by  the  death  of  Christ,  is  consistent  with  the 
unchangeable  principle  of  moral  righteousness. 

It  might  be  thought,  that  in  order  to  establish  this 
hypothesis,  nothing  more  could  be  required  as 
evidence  than  the  text  under  consideration.  For 
if  we  are  certified  that  the  divine  Being  does  in  fact 
love  sinners,  that  is  sufficient  evidence  that  it  is 
morally  right  that  he  should  do  so ;  but  our  pre- 
sent object  is  to  do  more  than  barely  to  prove  the 
fact,  the  object  is  to  illustrate  it  to  the  understand- 
ing. To  do  this  we  will  first  admit  our  opposer's 
objection  to  be  stated,  The  objection  is  this ; 

According  to  the  strict  rule  of  moral  righteous- 
ness, every  moral  being  must  be  treated  according 
to  his  works ;  but  if  God  does  in  reality  love 
sinners,  if  he  grants  them  the  infinite  blessings  of 
his  grace,  it  seems  that  he  does  not  deal  with  them 
according  to  their  deserts.  Reply, 

It  is  granted  that  moral  righteousness  requires 
that  every  transgression  and  disobedience  should 
receive  a  just  recompense  of  reward,  but  then  it 
must  be  granted,  that  as  the  right  to  inflict  punish- 
ment is  derived  from  the  commission  of  crime,  so 
it  is  limited  by  the  offence  committed,  and  it  is  an 
acknowledged  fact  that  to  extend  punishment  be- 
yond the  demerit  of  a  crime,  is,  at  least,  as  wide 


350 

a  departure  from  moral  right  as  to  come  short.  But 
•  he  right  to  do  good  and  to  show  kindness  is  not 
derived,  nor  is  it  limited. 

In  finite  beings  the  power  and  means  to  do  good 
and  to  show  favour  are  limited,  but  the  right  is  not 
limited.  And  in  every  instance  in  which  our  power 
and  means  are  too  limited  to  grant  all  the  favour 
that  is  needed,  we  have  the  liberty  still  to  extend 
our  benevolent  wishes  without  limitation. 

If  one  of  our  fellow  creatures  commits  a  crime 
which  is  punishable  by  law,  it  is  true,  we  have  no 
right  to  prevent  this  punishment,  but  we  have  an 
unlimited  right  to  love  this  criminal,  and  beyond 
all  the  punishment  of  his  crime,  to  wish  him  well, 
and  if  in  our  power,  to  do  him  all  the  good  that  he 
may  need.  Now,  in  punishing  him  according  to 
his  offence  moral  righteousness  is  perfectly  execut- 
ed, but  it  now  has  all  the  right  and  all  the  inclina- 
tion to  love  and  do  the  subject  good,  as  it  had 
before  any  crime  was  committed. 

St.  Paul,  speaking  of  God  says ;  "  Who  hath 
saved  us  and  called  us,  with  an  holy  calling,  not 
according  to  our  works,  but  according  to  his  own 
purpose  and  grace,  which  was  given  unto  us  in 
Christ  Jesus  before  the  world  began."  Before  the 
world  began,  who  can  dispute  that  God  had  a  moral 
right  to  purpose  a  dispensation  of  grace  to  man- 
kind? Or  who  will  contend,  that  his  right  to  love 
and  to  do  good  to  the  creatures  which  he  should 
create,  could  be  in  the  least  limited  by  what  they 
might  do  after  they  should  be  brought  into  being  ? 

A  parent  has  an  unlimited  right  to  love  an  infant 
child,  he  has  a  right  to  bestow  on  it  an  immense 
fortune,  even  before  the  child  has  any  knowledge 
of  its  parents.  Nor  does  this,  in  the  least  interfere 
with  either  his  right  or  duty  to  subject  this  same 
child  to  a  reasonable  and  righteous  discipline,  in 
which  the  child  may  be  rewarded  for  well  doing, 
and  chastised  for  its  disobedience. 


351 

Thus  in  the  eternal  mind  of  our  Creator,  a  boun- 
ds store  of  divine  riches  was  treasured  up  for  his 
rational  offspring,  before  man  was  brought  into  be- 
ing; and  among  ten  thousand  other  favours,  God 
appointed  a  rod  of  correction,  and  a  dispensation 
of  chastisement  for  the  improvement  and  moral 
benefit  of  mankind,  while  passing  through  a  state 
of  imperfection,  subject  to  vanity. 

The  sixth  and  last  particular,  which  we  now 
propose  to  make  of  our  text,  is  to  contemplate  its 
sentiment  as  a  pattern  for  our  imitation,  and  as  a 
principle  worthy  to  be  practised. 

This  is  the  use  which  the  Apostle  John  has  made 
of  the  same  sentiment,  expressed  in  a  passage 
which  has  already  been  noticed  in  this  discourse. 
"  Herein  is  love,  not  that  we  loved  God,  but  that 
he  loved  us,  and  sent  his  Son  to  be  the  propitiation 
for  our  sins."  From  this  rich  and  glorious  senti- 
ment  the  Apostle  draws  the  following  conclusion. 
"  Beloved,  if  God  so  loved  us,  we  ought  also  to  love 
one  another."  Certainly  there  cannot  be  a  more 
reasonable  inference  drawn  from  any  proposition 
ever  laid  down  than  the  one  which  the  Apostle  here 
draws  from  the  love  of  God  to  mankind.  If  we 
had  good  reason  to  believe  that  our  Father  in 
heaven  really  hated  his  enemies  or  those  who  do 
not  love  him,  if  we  were  consistent  with  such  a  be- 
lief, we  should  hate  all  those  whom  we  viewed  of 
this  description.  And  this  has  been  the  case  in  the 
Christian  church  as  well  as  through  the  world. 
Men  have  hated  and  persecuted  one  another  on 
this  mistaken  notion ;  and  verily  thought  they  did 
God  service  by  so  doing.  But  if  we  are  convinc- 
ed that  God  loved  us,  while  we  were  yet  enemies 
to  him  by  wicked  works,  and  if  we  believe  that  he 
loves  every  sinner  of  the  human  family,  and  that  he 
has  manifested  this  love  by  the  death  of  his  holy 
child  Jesus,  it  is  all  as  clear  as  the  sun  in  a  cloud- 
less day,  that  we  ought  to  love  our  enemies,  and  to 


351 

do  them  all  the  good  that  is  in  our  power.  And 
to  do  otherwise,  my  Christian  friends,  is  to  deny 
our  religion  and  our  doctrine,  and  that  in  a  more 
effectual  manner  than  Peter  denied  his  Lord. 

To  conclude.  Our  subject  presents  before  our 
rejoicing  eyes,  a  boundless  scene  of  divine  grace ; 
it  invites  us  to  the  sweetest  field  of  contemplation, 
where  goodness,  unlimited  goodness,  mercy,  unlim- 
ited and  impartial  mercy  eternally  flow  as  broad 
rivers  and  streams ;  as  waters,  risen  waters  for  men 
to  swim  in,  which  no  man  can  pass. 

Let  us  close  with  the  appropriate  words  of  the 
poet: 

"  When  all  thy  mercies,  O  my  God, 
My  rising  soul  surveys  ; 
Transported  with  the  view,  Fm  lost ; 
In  wonder,  love  and  praise." 


No.  23. 

LECTURE  SERMON, 

DELIVERED  AT  THE 

SECOND  UNIVERSALIST  MEETING,  IN  BOSTON, 
JUNE  6,  1819. 


BY  HOSEA  BALLOU,  PASTOR. 


Published  Semi-Monthly  by  Henry  Bowen,  Congress-street. 

1  THESSALONIANS,  iv.  13. 

"  But  I  would  not  have  you  to  be  ignorant,  brethren,  concerning  them 
which  are  asleep,  that  ye  sorrow  not,  even  as  others  which  have  no  hope." 

IN  a  world  of  sorrow,  in  a  state  of  being  incident 
to  the  infinite  variety  of  adversity  with  which  man 
is  exercised,  as  nothing  can  be  more  needed,  so 
nothing  is  esteemed  more  precious  than  that  which 
is  calculated  to  mitigate  oursorrows,soothe  our  grief, 
and  sweeten  adversity.  To  do  these,  and  to  strow 
the  thorny  path  of  mortal  life  with  the  rose  of  con- 
solation, and  to  open  in  the  parched  ground  of  hope- 
less sorrow  a  living  spring  of  ceaseless  joy,  the  gos- 
pel of  eternal  life  has  been  sent  from  God  to  man. 

As  the  parental  sensibilities  are  moved  with  pity 
at  the  sorrows  of  their  offspring  in  affliction,  and  as 
such  an  occasion  is  visited  with  special  tokens  of 
compassion,  so  hath  it  pleased  the  Father  of  our 
spirits  to  break  through  the  dark  clouds  of  mortal- 
ity and  death  with  the  rain-bow  of  his  covenant 
and  to  send  his  annointed  to  bind  up  the  broken- 
hearted and  to  comfort  all  that  mourn. 

In  possession  of  the  knowledge  of  the  unseen, 
eternal  things,  belonging  to  the  spiritual  inheritance 
of  the  rational  offspring  of  God,  and  exercised  with 
that  generous  affection  and  those  kind  sympathies 


3J3 

which  ever  seek  the  benefit  of  others,  it  was  impos- 
sible for  the  Apostle  to  stand  an  indifferent  specta- 
tor of  hopeless  sorrow,  when  in  possession  of  that  di- 
vine knowledge  by  which  a  celestial  cordial  of  con- 
solation might  be  seasonably  administered. 

But  in  order  to  administer  consolation  to  those 
who  are  exercised  with  adversity  or  sorrow,  it  is 
necessary  that  the  cause  should  be  understood  and 
likewise  the  extent  of  grief.  Unless  the  physician 
understands  the  cause  of  complaint,  and  the  extent 
of  disease,  it  would  be  mere  chance  if  he  did  not 
give  force  to  the  former,  and  enhance  the  latter  by 
his  prescriptions.  The  case  of  the  woman  in  the 
gospel  is  an  instance  of  what  we  are  now  observing. 
Twelve  years  was  she  troubled  with  her  disorder, 
"  and  had  suffered  many  things  of  many  physicians, 
and  had  spent  all  that  she  had,  and  was  nothing  the 
better,  but  rather  grew  worse."  But  when  she 
came  to  Jesus  she  was  made  whole  without  suffer- 
ing any  thing  of  him,  and  without  expense. 

The  cause  of  that  kind  of  sorrow  which  the  Apos- 
tle was  desirous  to  prevent  appears  to  be  ignorance. 
Observe  the  text ;  "  But  I  would  not  have  you  to 
be  ignorant,  brethren,  concerning  them  which  are 
asleep,  that  ye  sorrow  not,  even  as  others  which 
have  no  hope." 

The  particular  subjects  suggested  by  these  words, 
and  to  which  our  future  labours  in  the  present  dis- 
course may  be  directed  are  the  following. 

I.  Ignorance  concerning  those  which  are  asleep, 
is  the  only  cause  of  hopeless  sorrow  for  1hem. 

II.  The  knowledge  of  the  truth  concerning  those 
which  are  asleep  administers  hope  and  comfort  to 
those  who  mourn  for  their  friends. 

III.  This  knowledge  is  communicated  in  the  gos- 
pel, through  Jesus  Christ. 

There  are  two  powers  by  which  ignorance  oper- 
ates in  the  human  mind,  in  a  way  to  prevent  happi- 
ness and  to  augment  sorrow,  even  to  despair.  The 


354 

first  prevents  our  knowing  the  things  which  belong 
to  our  peace,  and  the  second  opens  a  door  for  an  in- 
finite variety  of  imaginations  all  calculated  to  ad- 
minister affliction  and  to  cause  our  sorrows  to  in- 
crease. 

The  mind  that  is  destitute  of  knowledge  and  at 
the  same  time  devoted  to  fearful  imagination,  is 
like  one  disturbed  by  a  frightful  dream. 

Safely  slumbering  in  the  peaceful  chamber  of 
repose,  and  no  danger  nigh,  one  might  dream  of 
descending  a  declivity  directly  leading  to  a  fatal 
precipice,  view  destruction  as  inevitable,  and  feel 
the  pang  of  despair;  and  the  whole  difficulty  end 
with  the  sudden  interruption  of  the  dream.  In  fact, 
though  there  were  every  possible  reason  for  sweet 
content,  supporting  confidence,  and  joyful  hope, 
ignorance  of  all  these  things  would  not  only  pre- 
vent these  blesssings,but  expose  the  mind  to  a  thou- 
sand imaginary  anticipations  which  belong  to  the 
family  of  despair. 

A  few  examples  from  the  scriptures  may  serve 
further  to  illustrate  this  subject. 

There  were  three  particular  events  relative  to 
the  patriarch  Jacob,  his  ignorance  of  which  was  the 
cause  of  the  greatest  anxiety,  most  fearful  appre- 
hensions, and  hopeless  sorrow.  When  he  was  in- 
formed that  his  brother  Esau,  whom  he  had  sup- 
planted, was  coming  to  meet  him  with  four  hundred 
men,  he  feared  the  wrath  of  his  injured  brother, 
and  his  soul  was  greatly  troubled  for  his  wives  and 
for  his  children.  There  was  no  way  of  escape  by 
flight,  his  means  to  oppose  his  brother  were  nothing, 
he  feared  all  was  lost,  and  that  the  anger  of  his 
brother  would  blot  out  his  name  forever  from  under 
heaven.  Now  imagination  presented  before  his  al- 
most distracted  eyes  the  most  shocking  catastrophe 
to  which  mothers  and  their  innocent  children  could 
possibly  be  exposed.  His  fearful  heart  melted 
within  him,  and  he  placed  his  devoted  family  in  the 


355 

order  in  which,  if  they  must  be  destroyed,  his  choice 
would  dictate,  and  in  that  arrangement  which  might 
possibly  afford  him  an  opportunity  of  saving  such 
as  were  the  most  dear  to  his  troubled  heart.  But 
how  suddenly  were  his  fears  all  dispelled  when 
Esau  ran  to  him,  embraced  him  with  fraternal  af- 
fection and  tenderness,  and  kindly  received  and 
compassionately  treated  every  branch  of  his  family. 

What  an  expense  of  feelings,  the  most  tormenting 
would  have  been  saved  in  this  case,  if  the  love  and 
forgiveness,  which  most  bountifully  flowed  in  the 
heart  of  Esau  toward  his  brother,  had  been  known 
to  him,  whose  ignorance  of  the  truth  had  deprived 
him  of  peace,  and  had  let  a  thousand  frightful  ap- 
prehensions into  his  mind,  which  had  no  foundation 
in  fact. 

It  might  be  about  ten  years  after  this, that  the  sons  of 
Jacob  brought  to  their  father  the  coat  of  many  col- 
ours, which  his  beloved  Joseph  wore  from  home, 
when  he  went  to  seek  after  the  welfare  of  his  breth- 
ren. This  coat  they  now  presented  to  their  father, 
torn  in  pieces  and  covered  with  blood.  "  He  knew 
it,  and  said,  it  is  my  son's  coat ;  an  evil  beast  hath 
devoured  him;  Joseph,  is  without  doubt, rent  in 
pieces.  And  Jacob  rent  his  clothes,  and  put  sack- 
cloth upon  his  loins,  and  mourned  for  his  son  many 
days."  Yea  he  refused  all  comfort  and  said ;  "  I 
will  go  down  into  the  grave  unto  my  son  mourning.'5 

Who  can  describe  the  sorrow  which  preyed  on 
the  heart  of  the  afflicted  father  ?  Methinks  I  see 
him  seated  alone  beneath  some  favourite,  salutary 
shade,  giving  vent  to  his  grief  and  indulgence  to  his 
tears.  He  seems  to  ask  ;  was  it  the  lion's  paw  that 
struck  the  tender  lad  to  the  ground,  or  was  it  the 
hungery  jaw  of  the  merciless  tiger  that  dislocated 
his  youthful  limbs,  or  was  it  the  voracious  leopard 
that  deprived  me  of  the  desire  of  my  eyes  ?  O  cruel 
ignorance  !  what  distracting  imaginations  !  Could 
Jacob  but  have  known  that  his  Joseph  was  safe  in 


.356 

Uie  hands  of  the  Angel  of  God  who  protected  him, 
hope  would  have  brightened  his  countenance,  sooth- 
ed his  affliction,  and  administered  peace  and  joy  to 
his  heart. 

In  the  days  of  the  famine,  when  the  sons  of  Israel 
were  to  go  down  to  Egypt  the  second  time,  and 
when  they  demanded  Benjamin  to  go  with  them, 
how  trying  was  all  this  to  the  heart  oi'the  father  of 
the  twelve  tribes.  How  full  of  grief  are  his  words. 
"  Joseph  is  not,  and  Simeon  is  not,  and  ye  will  take 
Benjamin  away.  All  these  things  are  against  me." 
Such  were  the  hopeless  sorrows  of  one  who  was  ig- 
norant concerning  the  subjects  of  his  sorrow.  At 
the  very  moment  when  this  dark  and  gloomy  as- 
pect lay  before  his  eyes,  Joseph  was  lord  of  all 
Egypt,  the  owner  of  the  vast  grainei  ies  in  that  land 
of  plenty,  and  Simeon  was  safe  in  the  hands  of  his 
compassionate  brother;  and  both  were  waiting  with 
fervent  desire  to  see  Benjamin.  Had  the  venera- 
ble Patriarch  known  at  this  time  the  truth,  his  heart 
would  have  leaped  for  joy,  as  it  afterwards  did 
when  his  children  returned  and  told  him  that  Jos- 
eph was  alive. 

In  the  several  cases  which  we  have  noticed,  it  is 
evident  that  the  ignorance  of  Jacob  was  that  which 
not  only  prevented  the  joyful  expectations  of  hope, 
but  introduced  the  most  tormenting  imaginations. 

Now  the  sentiment  of  our  text  supposes  that  this 
is  the  case  with  those,  who  being  ignorant  concern- 
ing them  that  are  asleep,  sorrow  for  them  without 
hope. 

There  are  two  opinions  concerning  those  who 
are  fallen  asleep  in  death,  and  but  two,  which  are 
calculated  to  exercise  the  mourner  with  hopeless 
sorrow. 

The  least  pernicious,  is  the  opinion  that  there  is 
no  future  existence  for  mankind.  •  When  a  person 
of  this  opinion  loses  by  death  any  near  and  beloved 
connexion  there  are  two  grounds  of  sorrow.  The 


357 

first  is  the  loss,  the  eternal  loss  of  such  a  desirable 
connexion,  and  the  other  is  the  everlasting  extinc- 
tion of  this  intellectual  moral  being.  And  it  is  im- 

~ 

possible  that  either  of  these  reflections  should  be 
accompanied  with  the  least  ray  of  hope.  Is  it  a 
father  or  a  mother,  a  wife  or  a  child,  a  brother  or  a 
sister,  of  which  the  mourner  is  bereaved  ?  And 
was  this  connexion  most  dearly  and  tenderly  belov- 
ed ?  What  a  gloomy  thought,  to  believe  that  death 
has  blotted  out  of  existence  one  so  tenderly  and  af- 
fectionately beloved,  must  present  an  impenetrable 
cloud  of  darkness  to  the  mind,  that  forbids  its  mak- 
ing the  least  advance,  repels,  and  drives  it  back  on 
its  perishable  self,  and  yawns  to  receive  the  hope- 
less mourner  to  the  abyss  of  nonentity. 

Enough,  you  say,  dwell  not  a  moment  on  such 
horror.  But  what  shall  we  say  ?  the  other  opinion, 
which  denies  the  consolation  of  hope  to  the  mourner 
is,  that  our  future  existence  is  worse,  far  worse  than 
no  existence  at  all.  Such  are  the  dismal  horrors  of 
everlasting  misery  in  the  coming,  eternal  state, 
which  the  traditions  of  the  church  have  handed 
down  from  generation  to  generation,  as  have  ren- 
dered the  thoughts  of  eternity,  thoughts  of  horror. 

Is  it  replied,  that  our  traditions  admit  that  some 
few  of  the  human  family  will  be  happy  hereafter, 
and  therefore  when  our  friends  die,  we  may  enter- 
tain a  hope  that  they  belong  to  this  little  favourite 
number  ? 

We  reply  ;  an  absurdity  is  no  just  ground  of 
hope.  If  but  a  few  of  the  human  family  are  ap- 
pointed unto  salvation,  it  is  absurd  for  all  to  hope 
that  they  belong  to  that  little  number.  It  is  a  cir- 
cumstance that  affords  matter  of  much  contempla- 
tion ;  and  one  from  which  human  weakness  and  hu- 
man selfishness  may  he  learned,  that  go  where  you 
will,  among  whatever  denomination  of  people,  even 
among  those  who  hold  the  most  illiberal  sentiments, 
and  believe  that  not  more  than  one  out  of  a,  thou- 


358 

sand  will  be  happy  hereafter,  yet  if  they  lose  any 
of  their  friends  by  death,  they  hope  they  are  gone 
to  rest.  There  are  in  this  metropolis,  no  doubt,  a 
very  respectable  number  of  pious  people,  who  be- 
lieve without  a  doubt,  that  when  the  Saviour  said  ; 
*'many  are  called,  but  few  are  chosen,"  he  meant 
that  but  a  few  of  the  whole  family  of  mankind  are 
elected  unto  everlasting  life  in  the  eternal  world  ; 
and  yet  when  these  people  are  visited  with  berear- 
ing  providences,  and  any  of  their  connexions  are 
taken  away  by  death,  they  hope  it  is  well  with  them 
hereafter.  You  cannot  find  one,  in  any  possible 
case  who  will  say  to  the  contrary.  Fathers,  mothers, 
wives,  children,  brothers,  sisters,  near  friends,  inti- 
mate acquaintances,  none  of  them  will  admit  the 
doctrine  of  everlasting  misery,  in  which  they  be- 
lieve, to  apply  to  each  other,  nor  to  themselves. 
And  yet,  according  to  their  creed,  they  have  not 
the  least  ground  for  the  hopes  which  they  entertain. 

If  you  ask  these  people  what  reason  they  have 
for  the  least  comfort,  they  will  say ;  we  do  not 
know  whom  God  has  reprobated,  and  therefore  we 
do  not  know  that  our  friends  or  ourselves  are  ap- 
pointed unto  wrath.  Thus  their  ignorance  con- 
cerning them  that  are  asleep,  in  most  of  instances, 
according  to  their  creed,  is  the  sole  reason  why  they 
are  not  distracted  with  gloomy  and  black  despair. 

Were  this  creed  of  limited  salvation,  and  the  doc- 
trine of  the  endless  misery  of  a  great  part  of  man- 
kind the  truth  of  the  divine  economy,  and  could  the 
vail  of  ignorance  concerning  them  that  are  gone 
from  this  mortal  state  be  removed,  what  language 
could  possibly  describe  the  horrors  and  the  lamen- 
tations which  would  be  the  unhappy  consequence 
of  such  a  manifestation? 

We  have  heard  the  heart-rending  moans  and 
melting  sighs  of  those,  whose  dear  connexions  were 
toiling  under  the  burden  and  lash  of  slavery.  Their 
interjections  would  seemingly  move  the  stones  to 


359 

pity.  What  to  these  people  is  the  sumptuous  fare 
of  the  board  of  plenty  ?  or  what  to  them  is  the  bed 
of  down  ?  or  what  to  them  are  the  thousands  they 
possess?  All  would  they  give  could  the  father, 
child  or  brother,  as  the  case  might  be,  return  to 
freedom  and  home.  But  compared  with  the  dire 
scenes  of  eternal  misery  under  consideration,  all 
this  is  no  more  than  the  weight  of  a  pebble  to  that 
of  the  ponderous  globe. 

Do  you  believe  this  doctrine  ?  O  tell  it  not  to 
the  mourner.  If  you  do  not,  and  cannot  believe  it 
for  yourselves;  if  you  can  believe  it  only  for  others, 
why  tell  it  to  them  ?  Can  they  bear  to  believe  it 
for  themselves  and  for  their  friends,  any  more  than 
Vou  can  endure  to  believe  it  for  yourselves  and  for 
those  whom  you  love  ? 

It  is  worthy  of  notice,  that  as  the  creed  under 
consideration  requires  people  in  general  to  be  igno- 
rant concerning  them  that  are  asleep,  in  order  for 
them  to  have  any  hope  in  the  days  of  their  mourn- 
ing, it  is  exactly  the  reverse  of  the  sentiment  of  our 
(ext,  which  supposes  that  to  be  ignorant  concerning 
them  who  are  asleep,  exposes  us  to  sorrow  without 
hope  ;  and  on  the  contrary  that  the  true  knowledge 
concerning  the  condition  of  such  would  be  a  source 
of  divine  consolation. 

Let  us  direct  our  attention  in  the  next  place  to 
ascertain  that  knowledge  concerning  those  who  have 
fallen  asleep  in  death,  which  the  faithful  word  of 
divine  inspiration  affords. 

But  before  we  proceed  to  notice  any  parctiu'lar 
passages,  it  is  of  importance  that  we  begin  this  in- 
quiry under  the  influence  of  proper  motives  ;  and  it 
is  likewise  necessary  that  in  the  pursuit  of  our  object, 
we  should  reason  with  due  reference  to  the  criterion 
furnished  by  our  text.  The  motives  which  ought 
to  induce  us  to  this  investigation  should  be  free  from 
the  influence  of  any  particular  creed,  from  embar- 
rassments arising  from  prepossessions  for,  or  against 


3'60 

any  party  opinions,  and  should  be  entirely  devoted 
to  the  attainment  of  the  truth,  the  promotion  of  the 
honour  of  God,  and  the  advancement  of  our  own 
rational  and  intellectual  happiness.  And  if  we  pur- 
sue this  inquiry  with  due  reference  to  the  criterion 
furnished  by  our  text,  we  shall  admit  nothing  as 
true  which  is  calculated  to  destroy  our  hope  con- 
cerning those  who  are  asleep. 

The  words  of  Solomon  recorded  in  Ecclesiastes 
seem  to  be  direct  to  our  present  subject.  t(  So  I 
turned,  and  considered  all  the  oppressions  that  are 
done  under  the  sun  ;  and,  behold,  the  tears  of  such 
as  were  oppressed, and  they  had  no  comforter;  and 
on  the  side  of  their  oppressors  there  was  power ; 
but  they  had  no  comforter.  Wherefore  I  praised 
the  dead  which  are  already  dead,  more  than  the 
living  which  are  yet  alive." 

The  three  following  ideas  are  evidently  suggest- 
ed by  the  passage  recited  : 

I.  In  relation  to  all  the  oppressions  tfone  und^r 
the  sun,  and  in  relation  to  all  the  oppressed,  and  all 
the  oppressors,  they  were  both  equally  destitute  of 
comfort. 

II.  The  condition  of  those  who  are  dead  is  bet- 
ter than  the  condition  of  those  who  are  yet  aljye. 
And, 

III.  There  is  no  just  occasion  for  our  mourning 
because  our  friends  are  dead. 

It  may  be  proper  to  observe  here,  that  we  do  not 
mean  that  we  have  no  just  cause  of  mourning  when 
our  friends  are  taken  from  us,  in  one  certain  sense. 
We  have  reason  to  sorrow  for  the  loss  of  their 
sweet  and  agreeable  company  on  our  pilgrimage  of 
mortal  life,  but  on  their  account,  we  have  no  just 
cause  to  mourn  that  they  are  dead.  It  is  with  regret, 
that  we  dismiss  our  children  from  the  happy  do- 
mestic circle,  where  parental  love  and  filial  affec- 
tions have  been  the  blessing  of  both  parents  and 
children,  when  we  have  po  reason  to  doubt  that 
46 


361 

tlieir  departure  is  necessary  for  their  future  happi- 
ness in  life,  and  the  tear  of  sensibility  marks  the 
adieu  which  sanctions  the  separation.  The  house 
they  leave  seems  lonesome  to  those  who  are  left 
behind,  and  yet  as  long  as  it  is  believed  by  parents 
that  it  is  best  for  their  children  to  be  away,  they 
will  not  indulge  a  disposition  to  wish  them  back. 

The  Apostle  in  our  text,  does  not  forbid,  nor 
dissuade  his  brethren  from  sorrow  for  the  loss  of 
their  friends.  But  his  reasoning  was  to  prevent 
their  sorrowing  without  hope.  And  it  is  certain 
that  if  we  have  the  same  opinion  concerning  the 
dead,  that  Solomon  expressed  in  the  passage  just 
recited,  though  we  may  feel  to  mourn  that  we  are 
destitute  of  the  society  of  those  we  tenderly  love, 
yet  there  is  a  consolation  in  believing  that  they  are 
better  off  than  the  living. 

This  author,  speaking  in  another  passage  of  the 
dissolution  of  the  body,  says  ;  "  Or  ever  the  silver 
cord  be  loosed,  or  the  golden  bowl  be  broken,  or 
the  pitcher  be  broken  at  the  fountain,  or  the  wheel 
broken  at  the  cistern :  then  shall  the  dust  return  to 
the  earth  as  it  was  ;  and  the  spirit  shall  return  unto 
God  who  gave  it." 

What  can  give  more  rational  consolation  to 
those  who  mourn,  than  to  realize  that  the  spirits  of 
their  departed  connexions  are  with  God  ?  or  what 
thought  can  possibly  contribute  more  to  tranquillize 
our  minds,  and  prepare  us  to  meet  our  own  disso- 
lution, than  a  confident  belief  that  we  shall  be  with 
God  ?  To  be  in  the  hands  of  a  God  of  infinite  wis- 
dom, power,  and  goodness ;  to  be  disposed  of  ac- 
•cording  to  his  will,  which  is  boundless  goodness 
and  mercy,  is  all  that  a  reasonable  creature  can 
possibly  desire;  and  of  this  we  may  be  safely  per- 
suaded. 

When  the  Sadducees  questioned  our  Saviour  con- 
cerning the  resurrection  of  the  dead,  he  said  to 
them  ;  "  But  they  which  shall  be  accounted  worthy 


362 

to  obtain  that  world,  and  the  resurrection  from  the 
dead,  neither  marry  nor  are  given  in  marriage ; 
neither  can  they  die  any  more  ;  for  they  are  equal 
unto  the  angels;  and  are  the  children  of  God,  be- 
ing the  children  of  the  resurrection.  Now,  that  the 
dead  are  raised,  even  Moses  shewed  at  the  bush, 
when  he  calleth  the  Lord  the  God  of  Abraham,  and 
the  God  of  Isaac,  and  the  God  of  Jacob.  For  he 
is  not  a  God  of  the  dead,  but  of  the  living ;  for  all 
live  unto  him." 

By  the  authority  of  Jesus  we  are  here  certified, 
that  all  that  die  live  unto  God  in  the  resurrection, 
and  are  the  children  of  God,  equal  to  angels,  and 
can  die  no  more. 

When  we  consider  that  he  who  thus  testified  was 
sent  of  God  to  "  bear  witness  unto  the  truth,"  that 
the  "  spirit  of  the  Lord  God"  was  upon  him,  that 
the  Lord  anointed  him  to  Wnd  up  the  broken 
hearted,  and  to  comfort  all  that  mourn,  shall  we 
^  hesitate  to  believe  his  testimony  ?  There  certain- 
ly is  no  subject  concerning  which  the  divine  teach- 
er has  left  us  his  testimony,  which  is  of  greater 
moment  than  this.  The  doctrine  of  the  resurrec- 
tion, which  was  the  subject  of  debate  between  him 
and  the  Sadducees,  lies  at  the  foundation  of  the  reli- 
gion of  Jesus,  and  we  have  every  rerasonto  believe 
that  he  was  explicit  when  he  refuted  and  silenced 
his  adversaries  on  a  question  of  such  impprtance. 
We  may  further  remark,  that  there  is  not  the  least 
intimation  that  the  divine  teacher  spake  figuratively 
or  parabolically  in  this  reply  to  the  Sadducees ;  but 
every  circumstance  relative  to  the  subject  which  we 
have  on  record,  goes  to  show  that  his  words  are  to 
be  understood  in  the  most  plain  and  obvious  sense. 

We  may  now  notice  some  passages  from  the 
writings  of  the  author  of  our  text  concerning  them 
that  are  asleep,  which  correspond  perfectly  with 
the  words  of  the  divine  teacher. 


J63 

To  the  Romans  he  says  ;  "  For  he  that  is  dead  is 
freed  from  sin."  This  information  concerning 
those  that  are  asleep  seems  extremely  necessary  in 
order  to  administer  consolation  to  mourners.  If 
we  may  make  further  use  of  the  simile  of  our  child- 
ren's'going  from  us,  we  may  observe,  that  could 
we  always  know  that  they  would  fall  into  no  vi- 
cious or  irreligious  habits,  it  would  be  a  source  of 
much  comfort.  Of  this  we  are  certified  concerning 
those  who  have  gone  from  this  earthly  corruptible 
state;  they  are  freed  from  sin.  The  temptations 
of  the  flesh  will  no  more  allure,  inordinate  appetites 
no  more  entice,  unholy  desires  are  extinct,  and  the 
spirit  is  with  God  who  gave  it. 

To  the  Corinthians  this  author  says;  "  For  we 
know  that,  if  our  earthly  house  of  this  tabernacle 
were  dissolved,  we  have  a  building  of  God,  an  house 
not  made  with  hanc^i,  eternal  in  the  heavens."  In 
this  mortal  state,  if  our  dwellings  are  superb  and 
every  way  convenient,  we  know  that  we  shall  en1^ 
joy  them  but  a  littte  time ;  but  concerning  them 
that  are  asleep,  they  have  an  house  eternal  in  the 
heavens.  Our  earthly  house  of  this  tabernacle,  let 
it  be  ever  so  beautiful,  must  soon  crumble  y>  dust, 
and  all  the  loveliness  of  mortal  flesh  is  but  a  flower 
for  the  tomb.  Look  we  on  our  sons  and  daugh- 
ters, and  pride  ourselves  in  their  strength  and  beau- 
ty? All  is  but  a  blossom  exposed  to  the  blast  of 
the  east  wind.  "All  flesh  is  grass,  and  all  the 
goodliness  thereof  is  as  the  flower  of  the  field." 
But  heavenly  and  eternal  things  are  permanent. 

On  the  subject  of  a  future  state,  and  of  the  im- 
mortality of  that  constitution,  St.  Paul  has  said 
more  in  the  15th  chapter  of  his  first  epistle  to  the 
Corinthians  than  is  recorded  by  any  other  writer 
in  the  scriptures.  His  first  argument  on  the  sub- 
ject establishes  the  resurrection  of  Christ,  his  second 
shows  that,  as  in  Adam  all  die,  even  so  in  Christ 
shall  all  be  made  alive,  and  his  third  is  directed  tg> 


364 

the  consideration  of  the  immortality  and  glory  of 
our  future  state.  On  these  subjects  the  following 
i.s  selected ;  "  But  now  is  Christ  risen  from  the 
dead",  and  become  the  first  fruits  of  them  that  slept. 
For  since  by  man  came  death,  by  man  came  also 
the  resurrection  of  the  dead.  For  as  in  Adam  all 
die,  even  so  in  Christ  shall  all  be  made  alive.  It  is 
sown  in  corruption,  it  is  raised  in  incorruption ;  it 
is  sown  in  dishonour,  it  is  raised  in  glory ;  it  is 
sown  in  weakness,  it  is  raised  in  power  ;  it  is  sown 
a  natural  body,  it  is  raised  a  spiritual  body.  The 
first  man  is  of  the  earth,  earthy  ;  the  second  man 
is  the  Lord  from  heaven.  And  as  we  have  borne 
the  image  of  the  earthy,  we  shall  also  bear  the  im- 
age of  the  heavenly.  For  this  corruptible  must 
put  on  incorruption,  and  this  mortal  must  put  on 
immortality.  Then  shall  be  brought  to  pass  the 
saying  that  is  written,  deathws  swallowed  up  in 
victory." 

My  Christian  friends,  if  we  may  safely  believe 
what  we  have  quoted  from  Solomon,  from  the  tes- 
timony of  our  divine  Redeemer,  and  from  his  emi- 
nent servant  St.  Paul,  concerning  them  that  are 
asleep,  we  have  every  consolation  that  we  could 
reasonably  require.  If  we  believe  that  the  spirit 
goes  to  God  who  gave  it,  that  the  dead  are  better 
off' than  the  living,  that  all  live  unto  God  in  the  re- 
surrection, and  are  equal  to  angels,  that  they  die 
no  more,  that  they  are  freed  from  sin,  are  raised  in 
power,  in  glory,  and  in  immortality,  in  the  image 
of  the  heavenly  man,  what  more  could  we  ask  con- 
cerning our  dear  connexions  which  have  gone  be- 
fore us,  or  what  more  can  we  require  in  order  to 
tranquilize  our  minds  in  the  hour  of  death? 

On  the  other  hand,  let  us  ask  how  we  could  en- 
joy any  reasonable  consolation  concerning  them 
Which  are  asleep,  if  what  we  have  proved  from 
scripture  be  not  believed  ? 


It  is  true  that  many  are  earnestly  contending 
that  the  doctrine  which  we  have  so  clearly  pointed 
out  from  the  faithful  word  of  truth,  is  a  doctrine 
dangerous  to  the  eternal  welfare  of  immortal  souls, 
and  calculated  to  lead  those  who  believe  it  into 
every  kind  of  sin.  But  how  can  this  be  the  case  ? 
Is  it  supposable  that  a  revelation  from  God  would 
in  plain  terms  declare  that  which  is  dangerous  to 
our  eternal  welfare,  and  calculated  to  lead  us  into 
sin  ?  This  is  a  reflection  against  God.  Will  any  one 
come  forward  and  acknowledge  that  a  belief  in  all 
this  grace  and  goodness  of  God  would  lead  them 
into  sin  ?  For  instance,  take  this  passage  ;  "  He 
that  is  dead  is  freed  from  sin."  Suppose  a  person 
believes  this  divine  truth,  would  this  belief  induce 
him  to  sin  now?  St.  Paul,  no  doubt  believed  it, 
did  it  lead  him  into  sin?  Suppose  the  following 
case.  One  of  you,*  my  hearers,  have  unhappily 
imbibed  a  strong  antipathy,  even  to  hatred,  against 
your  neighbour;  a  friend  of  yours  comes  to  you 
and  tells  you  he  has  something  of  importance  to 
communicate  to  you.  You  accommodate  him  with 
a  convenient  opportunity,  and  he  says,  I  have  come 
to  tell  you  that  in  one  week  from  now,  you  and 
your  neighbour,  whom  you  now  so  much  dislike, 
will  be  on  terms  of  perfect  amity  and  peace,  he  has 
always  been  your  friend  and  will  certainly  con- 
vince you,  that  in  room  of  ever  having  injured  you, 
he  has  been  the  means  of  all  your  prosperities. 
Suppose  you  believe  this  statement,  would  your 
belief  lead  you  to  hate  your  neighbour  more  than 
ever?  No,  it  would  have  a  directly  contrary  effect; 
you  would  love  him  the  moment  you  believed  it, 
and  would  long  for  the  time  to  come  that  you  might 
embrace  him. 

When  Samuel  told  Saul  that  he  should  meet  a 
company  of  prophets,  and  that  the  spirit  of  the 
Lord  would  come  upon  him,  that  he  should  be 
turned  to  another  man,  and  prophecy  with  the 


366 

prophets,  this  did  not  lead  the  young  man  into  sin. 
Did  the  whole  of  this  assembly  really  believe,  that 
in  a  short  time  they  should  be  in  a  state  of  immor- 
tal holiness  and  felicity,  filled  with  the  love  of  their 
heavenly  Father,  and  employed  in  songs  of  ever- 
lasting praise  to  God  and  the  lamb,  such  a  belief, 
my  friends,  would  now  work  by  love  and  purify 
our  hearts. 

But  the  wisdom  of  this  world  has  contrived  3  dif- 
ferent way  to  make  men  love  God,  which  is  by 
threatening  them  with  his  everlasting  displeasure. 
It  has  invented  the  most  horrible  reports  and  re- 
presentations that  imagination  can  possibly  reach, 
concerning  them  that  are  asleep,  by  which  sorrow 
is  augmented  to  despair.  Sermons  full  of  the  ter- 
ror of  eternal  misery,  and  the  representations  of 
the  dismal  stateof  the  dead  are  delivered  to  enhance 
the  sorrows  of  the  bereaved.  Little  tracts  are  sent 
to  people  gratis,  to  inform  them  that  the  probabil- 
ity is,  that  their  friends,  who  have  left  this  world 
are  in  a  state  of  torment.  It  is  impossible,  on  con- 
sidering such  inventions  and  practices,  not  to  think 
of  the  torn,  the  bloody  coat  presented  to  Jacob, 
accompanied  with  these  words ;  "  This  have  we 
found  ;  know  now  whether  it  be  thy  son's  coat  or 
no."  How  many  bereaved,  afflicted  mothers  have 
read  these  tracts,  and  almost  despairingly  exclaim- 
ed, "  it  is  my  son's  coat,"  without  doxubt  ray  de- 
parted child  is  miserable. 

Never  did  our  blessed  Saviour  manifest  such  a 
spirit,  never  did  he  inculcate  such  doctrine.  He 
who  wept  by  the  tomb  of  Lazarus,  in  sympathy 
with  mourning  sisters,,  who  declared  himself  the 
resurrection  and  the  life,  hath  brought  life  and  im- 
mortality to  light  through  the  gospel.  His  doc- 
trine is  full  of  consolation,  it  is  full  of  that  hope 
which  is  an  anchor  of  the  soul,  sure  and  stedfast, 
entering  into  that  within  the  vail,  where  our  fore- 
ninner  hath  far  m  entered. 


367 

My  friends,  while  looking  round  on  perishable 
nature,  while  contemplating  the  loss  of  our  dear 
connexions  who  have  gone  from  this  mortal  state, 
let  us  "lay  hold  on  this  hope  which  is  set  before  us," 
that  we  may  not  sorrow  concerning  them  which  are 
asleep,  even  as  those  who  have  no  hope.  But  let 
us,  with  confidence  in  God  our  Father,  and  in  Christ 
our  Saviour,  sing,  with  solemn  joy  in  the  words  of 
Dr.  Watts ; 

"  Why  do  we  mourn  departing  friends? 
Or  shake  at  death's  alarms? 
'Tis  but  the  voice  that  Jesus  sends 
To  call  them  to  his  arms." 


No.  24. 

LECTURE  SERMON, 


DELIVERED  AT  THE 


SECOND  UNIVERSALIST  MEETING,  IN  BOSTON, 
JUNE  20,  1819. 


BY  HO  SEA  BALLOU,  PASTOR. 

Published  Semi-Monthly  by  Henry  Bowen,  Congress-street. 

JOHN  v.  28,  29. 

•'  Marvelnot  at  this  :  for  the  hour  is  coming,  in  the  which  all  that  Are  in 
the  graves  shall  hear  his  voice,  And  shall  come  forth  :  they  that  have 
done  goorf,  unto  the  resurrection  of  life  ;  and  they  that  have  done  evil, 
•unto  the  resurrection  of  damnation." 

THOUGH  I  have  once  spoken  on  these  words  in 
this  place,  and  likewise  been  induced  to  explain 
them  in  a  controversy  that  was  published,  it  is  still 
requested  by  some  of  the  readers  of  these  lectures 
that  this  passage  should  be  noticed  before  the  vol- 
ume is  completed.  And  as  the  common  use  of  this 
text  is  in  opposition  to  the  doctrine  set  forth  in  these 
sermons,  arid  especially  to  the  use  we  made  of  the 
scriptures  in  our  last,  it  is  thought  necessary  thaf  a 
discourse  on  this  subject  should  be  placed  next  in 
order. 

This  passage  is  one  of  a  number  which  the  pop- 
ular doctrine  of  the  church  has  applied  to  a  future 
state  of  condemnation  and  misery.  It  has  been  used 
to  set  forth  and  maintain  that  those  who  do  good  in 
this  world  will  be  raised  from  the  dead  hereafter 
and  be  justified  unto  life  in  an  immortal  constitu- 
tion, for  the  good  works  which  they  did  in  this 
world ;  and  that  those  who  do  evil  in  this  mortal 
state  will  be  raised,  at  the  same  time,  into  an  -in> 
47 


369 

mortal  constitution,  and  condemned  to  eveilasting 
misery  for  the  evil  they  did  in  this  mortal  consti- 
tution. 

In  the  first  place  we  shall  suggest  some  argu- 
ments against  the  doctrine,  for  the  support  of  which 
this  text  has  been  used. 

In  this  doctrine  there  is  a  manifest  want  of  that 
due  connexion  between  cause  and  effect,  which  is 
so  wonderfully  displayed  in  the  natural  order  of 
things.  While  we  are  here  in  the  body,  if  we  feed 
on  wholesome  and  nourishing  food  the  natural  ef- 
fects are  strength  and  health  of  body  ;  but  if  we, 
from  whatever  cause,  feed  on  that  which  is  un- 
wholesome or  poisonous,  the  consequences  are  the 
reverse  of  the  former,  and  sickness  and  weakness 
are  sure  to  follow.  But  it  would  be  evidently  ab- 
surd to  attempt  to  argue,  on  physical  principles, 
that  these  effects,  either  health  or  sickness,  strength 
jor  weakness  will  be  experienced  in  a  state  of  im- 
mortality, after  this  corruptible  shall  have  put  on 
incorruption,  and  this  mortal  shall  have  put  on  im- 
mortality. Now  it  is  plain  from  the  scriptures, 
that  all  sin,  all  wickedness,  and  all  evil  doings  are 
the  works  of  the  flesh;  and  there  appears  no  more 
reason  for  supposing  that  the  effects  of  these  works 
are  to  extend  into  the  immortal  state,  than  for  sup- 
posing that  the  effects  of  wholesome,  or  unwhole- 
some food  are  to  extend  to  that  state. 

If  one  sow  grain  in  a  field  in  New-England,  it 
follows  of  natural  consequence  that  the  harvest 
will  be  gathered  from  the  same  field ;  but  there 
appears  no  natural  connexion,  as  between  cause 
and  effect,  between  sowing  grain  in  this  country 
and  gathering  a  harvest  from  it  in  Europe.  St. 
Paul  says;  "  He  that  soweth  to  his  flesh,  shall  of 
(he  flesh  reap  corruption."  This  seems  perfectly 
natural,  because  "  whatsoever  a  man  soweth,  that 
shall  he  also  reap."  But  to  argue  that  corruption 
rmay  be  gathered  from  an  incorruptible  state  is  to 
argue  against  the  very  nature  of  things. 


370 

The  apostie  to  the  Romans  is  explicit  on  this 
subject,  where  he  says  ;  "  There  is,  therefore,  now 
no  condemnation  to  them  which  are  in  Christ  Jesus, 
who  walk  not  after  the  flesh,  but  after  the  spirit." 

By  this  it  is  evident  that  condemnation  cannot 
exist  any  longer  than  men  walk  after  the  flesh. 
But  none  pretend  that  any  of  the  human  family 
will  walk  after  the  flesh  in  that  incorruptible  state 
of  which  the  apostle  speaks,  where  he  says ;  "  This 
corruptible  shall  put  on  incorruption,  and  this  mor- 
tal shall  put  on  immortality." 

We  can  easily  discern  the  natural  connexion  be- 
tween all  the  vices  which  are  practised  by  men 
and  the  infelicities  which  these  vices  introduce  into 
society,  and  the  unhappinessthey  occasion  to  those 
who  practice  them  ;  but  it  is  totally  impossible  to 
trace  the  connexion  between  these  vices  and  a  state 
of  permanent  misery  in  an  immortal  state. 

Secondly,  as  this  opinion  of  a  state  of  immortal 
happiness  for  the  good  works  of  men  in  this  life, 
and  a  state  of  endless  misery  for  their  evil  works 
while  here  is  supposed  to  fall  under  the  notice  of 
those  scriptures  which  teach  us  that  God  will 
render  to  every  man  according  to  his  works,  it  seems 
proper  that  we  look  to  see  if  we  can  find  such  a 
proportion  between  the  virtues  which  are  practis- 
ed in  this  life  and  a  state  of  immortal  felicity,  and 
between  the  vices  committed  here  and  a  state  of 
endless  torment  as  will  justify  this  doctrine.  The 
moment  this  inquiry  is  proposed  the  absurdity  of 
the  doctrine  appears;  for  there  is  a  much  nearer 
proportion  between  the  labour  of  one  hour  and 
the  wealth  of  the  whole  world  as  its  reward,  than 
can  be  seen  between  all  the  good  works  which  a 

CT 

man  could  perform  during  a  long  life,  and  a  re- 
compense of  an  immortal  state  of  complete  happi- 
ness. Nor  is  there  so  great  a  proportion  between 
all  the  sins  which  one  could  possibly  commii  in  this 
life  and  the  recompense  of  a  state  of  endless  misery, 


371 

as  between  the  smallest  offence  ever  committed  on 
earth  arid  a  retaliation  of  the  most  severe  and  pro- 
tracted tortures  which  could  be  inflicted  in  this 
mortal  state.  These  statements  are  self  evident 
facts,  which  we  know  to  be  true  as  well  as  we  know 
that  a  day  is  not  as  long  as  a  year,  or  that  one  grain 
is  not  equal  to  a  ton  weight. 

According  to  the  scriptures,  we  are  authorised  to 
believe,  that  the  blessings  of  the  gospel  in  this  life 
are  far  too  great  to  be  considered  as  being  accord- 
ing to  our  works.  St.  Paul  says ; se  Who  hath  saved 
us,  and  called  us  with  an  holy  calling,  not  according 
to  our  works,  but  according  to  his  own  purpose 
and  grace  which  was  given  us  in  Christ  Jesus  be- 
fore the  world  began."  Again  the  same  author 
says;  "Not  by  works  of  righteousness  which  we 
have  done,  but  according  to  his  mercy  he  saved  us.'* 
Now  if  the  salvation  obtained  in  this  life  by  the 
grace  of  God  is  too  great  to  be  considered  accord- 
ing to  our  works,  there  surely  is  not  the  shadow  of 
propriety  in  supposing  that  a  state  of  permanent 
felicity  in  the  eternal  world  is  according  to  our 
works  in  this.  But  the  proportion  between  our 
good  works  in  this  world  and  a  state  of  endless  hap- 
piness in  the  next  is  as  near  as  between  our  sins  here 
and  a  state  of  endless  misery  hereafter. 

Thirdly,  this  doctrine  of  endless  rewards  and 
punishments  is  involved  in  an  insuperable  difficulty 
for  the  uant  of  the  power  to  distinguish  between  the 
meet  subjects  for  these  respective  rewards. 

What  will  this  doctrine  do,  for  instance,  with 
David,  king  of  Israel  ?  That  he  did  evil,  and  that 
to  a  most  heinous  degree  is  evident  from  the  faith- 
ful records  of  scripture.  Now  if  they  who  in  this 
life  have  done  evil  are  to  be  raised  into  an  immor- 
tal state  of  misery,  David,  king  of  Israel,  will  be 
thus  raised  to  condemnation.  Will  it  be  said  that 
David  become  a  good  man,  and  did  many  good 
things  after  he  committed  the  abominations  which 


372 

are  recorded  of  him  ?  This  we  are  happy  to  ac- 
knowledge; but  what  does  this  prove,  only  that 
David  was  like  other  men,  and  sometimes  did  that 
which  was  right  and  sometimes  that  which  was 
wrong?  For  another  instance,  where  will  the  doc- 
trine under  consideration  place  St.  Paul  in  the  eter- 
nal state  ?  That  he  did  evil  in  this  world  the  scrip- 
tures as  fully  prove  as  they  prove  any  thing.  But . 
it  will  be  said  that  this  man  was  reformed  and  be- 
came a  good  man  ;  this  too  we  are  happy  to  ac- 
knowledge, but  what  more  does  this  prove  than 
that  St.  Paul  was  like  David,  and  like  other  men, 
a  changeable  creature !  who  sometimes  did  right, 
at  other  times,  wrong  ?  The  fact  is,  as  was  fully 
shown  in' our  lecture  on  the  recompensing  of  the 
righteous  and  the  wicked  in  the  earth,  all  men  are 
in  some  degree  righteous  and  in  some  degree  wick- 
ed. And  it  follows  that  if  all  that  do  good  in  this 
world  are  to  be  eternally  happy  hereafter,  all  man- 
kind will  be  happy  ;  and  on  the  other  hand,  if  all 
who  do  evil  in  this  life  are  to  be  endlessly  miserable 
in  the  next,  all  men  will  be  thus  miserable ! 
Fourthly,thedoctrine  under  consideration  is  absurd 
in  that  it  supposes  that  the  good  works  and  virtues 
of  men  in  this  imperfect  state  are  more  meritorious 
than  the  perfect  and  permanent  virtue  which  will 
characterize  the  blessed  in  heaven ;  for  if  that  im- 
mortal state  of  holiness  and  felicity  is  merited  by 
the  virtue  imperfectly  practised  in  this  mortal  state, 
there  remains  no  merit  in  the  virtues  practised  in 
the  future  world  nor  any  reward  for  that  sliperiour 
degree  of  righteousness.  And  on  the  other  hand,  this 
doctrine  involves  another  absurdity,  in  that  it  re- 
compenses the  sins  of  this  life  with  a  state  of  end- 
less arid  positive  misery,  but  reserves  no  punish- 
ment for  the  sins  of  which  the  souls  of  the  miserable 
will  be  guilty  in  that  state  where  they  will  sin  with- 
out restraint.  Why  should  imperfect  righteous- 
ness merit  an  eternity  of  happiness,  and  yet  perfect 


373 

righteousness  merit  nothing  ?  Why  should  the  sins 
of  this  life  be  recompensed  with  a  state  of  everlast- 
ing or  eternal  misery,  and  the  entire  sin  of  the  eter- 
nal world  go  forever  unpunished  ? 

Once  more,  this  doctrine  maintains  that  God  will 
punish  his  rational  offspring  without  mercy,  with- 
out designing  their  reconciliation  or  profit.  This, 
of  all  the  objections  which  we  have  to  the  doctrine 
under  consideration  is  the  greatest.  This  supposes 
that  God  possesses  a  worse  disposition,  and  practi- 
ses greater  cruelty  than  the  wicked  possess  or  prac- 
tise. All  the  cruelties  of  heathen  idolatry  are  ten- 
der mercies,  in  comparison  with  the  cruelty  attri- 
buted to  our  heavenly  Father  by  this  doctrine. 
People  are  deceived  by  the  names  which  supersti- 
tion uses  to  identify  this  cruelty  in  God,  but  the 
name  of  a  thing  alters  not  its  nature.  Vindictive 
wrath,  holy  anger,  retributive  justice  are  terms  us- 
ed to  designate  a  property  of  the  divine  nature 
which,  when  examined  impartially  and  without  a 
superstitious  awe,  is  found  to  be  worthy  of  no  bet- 
ter name  than  unmerciful  malevolence !  To  attri- 
bute such  a  quality  or  character  to  God,  we  view 
as  the  vilest  act  that  moral  darkness  has  ever  pro- 
duced ;  and  we  reject  the  sentiment  with  the  deep- 
est horror. 

Let  it  be  distinctly  noticed  here,  that  this  argu- 
ment does  not  lie  between  the  doctrine  of  endless 
punishment,  and  no  punishment  for  sin ;  we  have 
all  along  in  these  lectures  maintained  that  sin  is 
punished,  but  we  find  that  it  is  punished  in  the  world 
where  it  is,  and  not  in  an  immortal  state  where  it 
is  not. 

Having,  as  was  proposed,  suggested  a  few  argu- 
ments against  the  doctrine  for  the  support  of  which 
our  text  has  been  generally  used,  our  next  labour 
will  be  directed  to  bring  the  portion  of  scripture 
under  consideration  before  the  hearer  in  connex- 
ion with  such  other  passages  as  relate  to  event? 


374 

which  evidently  belong  to  the  present  state  of  exis- 
tence, but  where  language  signifying  a  resurrection 
is  used;  at  the  same  time  carefully  comparing  with 
them  those  passages  which  evidently  relate  to  a 
resurrection  into  an  immortal  state,  that  it  may  be 
clearly  anderstood  that  the  latter  and  former  clas- 
ses of  scripture  cannot,  with  any  propriety,  be  ap- 
plied to  the  same  event. 

The  arguments  to  which  we  have  attended  in 
this  discourse,  are  designed  to  show  that  the  text 
under  consideration  ought  not  to  be  applied  in  the 
usual  way,  by  showing  that  the  doctrine  supported 
by  it  when  so  used  is  not  true.  The  arguments 
now  designed  will  go  to  show  that  the  scriptures 
make  use  of  words  signifying  a  resurrection,  in  a 
figurative  sense,  when  nothing  beyond  this  mortal 
state  is  intended,  that  the  passage  under  considera- 
tion is  of  this  description ;  and  that  it  is  proved  to 
be  so  by  comparing  it  with  other  passages  which 
evidently  have  their  application  in  time,  and  also 
by  comparing  it  with  passages  which  speak  of  a  re- 
surrection into  an  immortal  state,  by  observing  the 
difference  there  is  between  the  two  classes. 

That  our  text  evidently  belongs  to  that  class  of 
scriptures  which  speak  of  a  spiritual  resurrection, 
or  of  a  resurrection  which  has  no  allusion  to  a  fu- 
ture state  of  being  may  be  seen  by  attending  to  the 
context,  which  reads  as  follows  ;  "  Verily,  verily, 
I  say  unto  you,  he  that  heareth  my  word,  and  be- 
Jieveth  on  him  that  sent  me,  hath  everlasting  life, 
and  shall  not  come  into  condemnation,  but  is  pass- 
ed from  death  unto  life."  Here  it  is  perfectly 
plain  that  the  death  from  which  the  believers  had 
passed  was  of  a  moral,  and  not  a  literal  kind ;  and 
it  is  perfectly  plain  also  that  the  life  into  which 
they  had  already  entered  was  of  a  spiritual  nature, 
which  believers  enjoy  by  the  means  of  believing  in 
the  word  of  Jesus  in  the  present  tense.  And  it  is 
furthermore  evident  that  the  condemnation  men- 


375 

iioned  in  the  passage  already  quoted  is  a  condem- 
nation which  is  the  consequence  of  unbelief  in  the 
present  life,  and  is  the  same  as  is  signified  by  the 
following  words  of  Jesus ;  "  He  that  believeth  'not 
is  condemned  already."  The  next  words  to  those 
quoted  from  our  context  are  the  following  ;  "  Ve- 
rily, verily,  I  say  unto  you,  the  hour  is  coming, 
and  now  is,  when  the  dead  shall  hear  the  voice  of 
the  son  of  God,  and  they  that  hear  shall  live.  For 
as  the  Father  hath  life  in  himself,  so  hath  he  given 
to  the  son  to  have  life  in  himself,  and  hath  given 
him  authority  to  execute  judgment  also,  because 
he  is  the  son  of  man."  It  is  abundantly  evident 
that  the  Saviour  still  continued  to  speak  of  the 
dead  in  trespasses  and  sins,  of  their  hearing  and  be- 
lieving bis  word,  and  of  the  spiritual  life  which  faith 
in  the  gospel  wrought  in  them.  And  it  is  also  evi- 
dent that  his  authority,  which  he  here  mentions,  to 
execute  judgment,  administers  that  condemnation 
into  which  the  unbeliever  is  brought. 

Our  text  follows  the  words  last  quoted  ;  "  Mar- 
vel not  at  this ;  for  the  hour  is  coming,  in  the  which, 
all  that  are  in  the  graves  shall  hear  his  voice,  and 
shall  come  forth ;  they  that  have  done  good  unto 
the  resurrection  of  life;  and  they  that  have  done 
evil  unto  the  resurrection  of  damnation."  Now  as 
it  is  acknowledged  by  all  that  Jesus  was  speaking 
figuratively  in  the  context,  until  he  came  to  the 
words  of  our  text,  it  seems  entirely  unwarranted 
to  make  him  now,  all  of  a  sudden,  speak  of  a  literal 
resurrection.  It/is  altogether  more  reasonable  to 
suppose,  that  as  he  meant  the  dead  in  a  moral  or 
spiritual  sense,  by  the  dead  who  should  hear  his 
voice  and  live,  he  now  means  the  carnal  state  of 
carnal  minds  by  the  graves  from  which  the  dead 
were  to  come  forth. 

That  the  word  graves  is  used  figuratively  in 
scripture  we  learn  from  the  37th  of  Ezekiel,  where 
the  prophet  represents  the  return  of  the  captivity 


376 

of  Israel  from  the  countries  where  they  had  been 
scattered,  first  by  the  resurrection  of  the  dry  bones 
in  the  valley  of  vision, — and  secondly,  by  bringing 
them  out  of  their  graves.  And  here  we  may  re- 
mark, that  there  would  be  the  same  propriety  in 
understanding  the  prophet  to  mean  a  figurative  re- 
surrection by  the  dry  bones,  representing  the  re- 
turn of  Israel's  captivity ;  but  when  he  speaks  of 
bringing  them  out  of  their  graves,  to  mean  their  re- 
surrection from  their  literal  graves  into  an  immor- 
tal state,  as  there  is  in  explaining  our  text  and  con- 
text in  the  usual  way. 

There  is  a  passage  in  the  12th  of  Daniel  which 
commentators  very  justly  consider  a  parallel  pas 
sage,  with  our  text;  it  reads  as  follows;  "  And  at 
tfeat  time  sliall  Michael  stand  up,  the  great  prince 
which  standeth  for  the  children  of  thy  people  ;  and 
there  shall  be  a  time  of  trouble,  such  as  never  was 
since  there  was  a  nation  even  to  that  same  time  : 
and  at  that  time  thy  people  shall  be  delivered,  eve- 
ry one  that  shall  be  found  written  in  the  book. 
And  many  of  them  that  sleep  in  the  dust  of  the 
earth,  shall  awake,  some  to  everlasting  life,  and 
some  to  shame  and  everlasting  contempt."  It 
seems  reasonable  to  suppose,  that  as  Jesus  came  to 
fulfil  the  law  and  the  prophets,  he  had  his  eye  on 
this  passage  in  Daniel  when  he  spake  the  words  of 
our  text ;  and  that  he  meant  by  those  who  were  in 
the  graves  the  same  as  Daniel  meant  by  those  who 
were  asleep  in  the  dust  of  the  earth ;  and  by  those, 
who  should  come  forth  to  the  resurrection  of  life, 
he  meant  the  same  as  Daniel  did  by  those  who 
should  awake  from  the  dust  of  the  earth  to  everlast- 
ing life ;  and  by  those  who  should  come  forth  to 
the  resurrection  of  condemnation,  the  same  as 
Daniel  meant  by  those,  who  shoujd  come  forth  unto 
shame  and  everlasting  contempt. 

Will  the  hearer  now  say  that  all  this  may  be, 
and  that  both  Daniel  and  the  Saviour  were  speak- 
48 


ing  of  the  resurrection  of  mankind  to  a  state  of  im- 
mortal- happiness  and  misery  in  a  future  world  ? 
To  this  we  reply,  when  Jesus  spoke  to  his  disciples 
of  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem  and  of  the  calami- 
ties which  should  shortly  come  on  the  Jews,  he  us- 
es the  words  of  Daniel  nearly  verbatim  when  he 
speaks  of  the  time  of  trouble.  By  this  circum- 
stance we  are  instructed  that  both  Daniel  and  the 
Saviour  spake  of  the  same  time  and  of  the  same 
events,  and  that  that  time  was  when  Jerusalem  was 
destroyed  by  the  Romans. 

The  true  meaning  of  the  words  of  Jesus  and  of 
the  passage  in  Daniel  appears  to  be  this;  those 
Jews  who  listened  to  the  mild  voice  of  the  gospel, 
proclaimed  by  Christ  and  his  Apostles,  came  forth 
from  spiritual  death  to  the  life  of  faith  in  the  new 
covenant;  but  those  Jews,  who  rejected  the  doc- 
trine of  salvation,  crucified  the  Saviour,  and  perse- 
cuted his  apostles,  were  those  who  had  done  evil, 
and  they  were  roused  from  the  dormant  state  in 
which  they  lay,  as  in  a  covenant  of  death  and  a 
refuge  of  lies,  by  the  voice  of  judgment  and  come 
forth  to  the  resurrection  of  that  condemnation 
which  is  so  particularly  pointed  out  in  the  24th  and 
25th  chapters  of  Matthew ;  and  which  was  illus- 
trated in  our  lecture  on  that  subject. 

That  the  resurrection  under  consideration  is  not 
a  resurrection  from  this  mortal  to  an  immortal 
state,  may  be  made  to  appear  by  comparing  the 
account  of  it  with  the  account  given  of  the  resur- 
rection into  a  state  of  immortality,  which  we  find 
in  several  passages  and  which  were  noticed  in  our 
last  lecture. 

In  the  account  of  the  resurrection  noticed  in  our 
text,  some  are  raised  to  life  and  some  to  condem- 
nation ;  and  this  account  we  have  seen  agrees  so 
well  with  the  testimony  quoted  from  Daniel,  that 
no  doubt  remains  that  the  Saviour  and  the  prophet 
spake  of  the  same  event.  But  can  we  make  St. 


378 

Paul's  account  of  the  resurrection  of  all  mankind 
into  an  immortal  stale  agree  with  these  several  tes- 
timonies so  as  to  be  satisfied  that  the  apostle  was 
treating  on  the  same  subject  of  which  Daniel  and 
the  Saviour  treated  ? 

Jesus  says  ;  that  they  who  have  done  good  shall 
come  forth  to  the  resurrection  of  life,  and  they  that 
have  done  evil  to  the  resurrection  of  damnation. 
Daniel  says;  "  And  many  of  them  that  sleep  in  the 
dust  of  the  earth  shall  come  forth,  some  to  ever- 
lasting life,  and  some  to  shame  and  everlasting  con- 
tempt" St.  Paul  says ;  "  As  in  Adam  all  die  even 
so  in  Christ  shall  all  be  made  alive."  And  he  is  par- 
ticular in  stating  the  constitution  which  all  men 
will  receive  in  the  resurrection  of  which  he  speaks. 
It  is  spiritual,  incorruptible,  immortal,  and  glorious; 
it  is  the  image  of  the  Lord  from  heaven.  He 
makes  no  distinction.  He  says  nothing  of  the  good 
works  of  some  and  the  evil  works  of  others.  His 
testimony  is,  in  fact,  directly  against  any  distinc- 
tion or  difference  in  that  immortal  state.  All 
are  made  alive  in  Christ ;  and  as  this  life  is  spirit- 
ual, incorruptible  and  immortal,  this  testimony 
agrees  with  the  testimony  of  Jesus  to  the  Sadducees 
on  the  same  subject  of  the  resurrection,  in  which  he 
says,  that  in  the  resurrection  they  are  the  children 
of  God,  equal  unto  the  angels,  and  can  die  no  more. 

In  his  debate  with  the  Sadducees,  Jesus  gave  no 
intimation  that  any  would  rise  from  the  dead  to  a 
state  of  condemnation,  but  was  particular  in  saying 
that  all  live  unto  God. 

In  our  present  light  of  this  subject,  we  can  plain- 
ly see,  that  by  supposing  that  Jesus  spake  in  our 
text  of  the  same  subject  of  which  he  spake  in  his 
reply  to  the  Sadducees,  we  make  him  contradict 
himself.  And  by  supposing  that  our  text  is  a  tes- 
timony of  the  same  event  of  which  St.  Paul  spake 
in  his  argument  on  the  resurrection  in  the  15th  of 
the  first  of  Corinthians,  we  set  the  testimony  of  Je- 
sus and  St.  Paul  at  an  irreconcilable  variance. 


379 

Our  present  subject  may  be  represented  by  sup- 
posing, that  a  traveller  returns  to  this  town  from 
the  state  of  Vermont,  and  informs  us  that  in  conse- 
quence of  a  disturbance  among  the  convicts  in  the 
State  prison,  the  prisoners  were  all  brought  out 
under  sufficient  guards,  to  be  examined  and  tried 
for  their  conduct.  This  trial,  our  traveller  informs 
us,  finally  terminated  in  the  solitary  confinement  of 
a  large  number  of  the  leaders  of  the  disturbance, 
but  in  the  liberation  from  prison  of  many  who  were 
found  to  be  meritorious  in  their  conduct  in  endeav- 
oring to  suppress  and  prevent  the  wicked  designs 
of  the  others. 

This  traveller  being  a  man  of  respectable  stand- 
ing in  society,  and  of  undoubted  reputation,  no  one 
is  disposed  to  doubt  the  truth  of  the  testimony 
which  he  has  given  on  this  subject.  Not  long  af- 
ter having  this  information  in  the  way  here  related, 
our  traveller  returns  from  a  tour  through  New- 
Hampshire,  and  informs  us  that  the  new  govern- 
our  in  that  state  has  seen  cause  to  set  all  the  pri- 
soners in  the  state  at  liberty,  and  that  he  was  aw 
eye  witness  of  the  fact.  For  want  of  proper  cau- 
tion some  of  us  now7  confound  the  two  reports,  and 
think  that  these  several  relations  are  concerning 
what  took  place  relative  to  the  prisoners  in  Ver- 
mont. 

In  this  way  we  should  make  the  testimony  of 
our  traveller  destroy  itself  and  the  veracity  of  its 
author.  And  yet  his  whole  testimony  in  both  ca- 
ses, when  understood  according  to  the  different  sub- 
jects related,  and  the  proper  distinctions  preserved 
according  to  the  plainest  sense  of  the  several  ac- 
counts given,  all  appears  clear  and  without  the 
leabl  contradiction. 

By  applying,  in  an  indiscriminate  manner,  those 
passages  of  scripture  which  specially  belong  to 
the  temporal,  mutable  state  of  man  in  this  life,  and 
those  which  speak  of  an  immortal  state,  all  to  the 


380 

future  existence  of  mankind,  the  greatest  absurdi- 
ties have  been  supported  by  the  scriptures.  In  the 
same  way  the  dispute  between  those  who  contend 
for  salvation  by  the  agency  of  the  creature,  and 
those  who  maintain  that  works  are  out  of  the  ques- 
tion relative  to  salvation  has  been  protracted  for 
ages  in  the  Christian  church.  And  yet  if  the  pas- 
sages of  scripture,  which  are  quoted  on  both  sides 
of  the  argument  were  applied  to  their  respective 
subjects  there  would  be  no  room  for  dispute  or  oc- 
casion for  any  difference  of  sentiment. 

For  instance,  the  account  we  have  of  the  judg- 
ment in  the  2«r>th  of  Matthew  proceeds  according 
to  the  works  of  those  who  are  judged ;  and  those 
who  are  welcome  to  the  kingdom,  are  justified  ac- 
cording to  their  works,  and  those  who  are  sentenc- 
ed to  punishment  are  so  condemned  according  to 
their  conduct.  Now  as  this  passage  is  applied  to 
the  eternal  state  of  the  unseen  world  by  both  par- 
ties in  the  dispute  just  named,  those  who  rest  the 
final  justification  of  the  creature  on  his  works  seem 
to  have  a  decided  advantage  in  the  dispute.  And 
it  is  all  in  vain  for  the  opposer  to  try  to  reconcile 
this  passage  with  his  notion  of  justifying  the  crea- 
ture to  everlasting  life  in  the  eternal  world  without 
any  reference  to  his  good  works  in  this  world. 
This  he  will  not  attempt  to  do ;  but  in  order  to  do 
away  the  force  of  this  judgment,  he  quotes  some 
passages  which  speak  of  grace  to  Ihe  exclusion  of 
works ;  such  as  the  following  ;  "  Who  hath  saved 
us  and  called  us  with  an  holy  calling,  not  accord- 
ing to  our  works,  but  according  to  his  own  pur- 
pose and  grace.  Not  by  works  of  righteousness 
which  we  have  done,  but  according  to  his  mercy 
he  saved  us.  By  grace  are  ye  saved, through  faith, 
and  that  not  of  yourselves,  it  is  the  gift  of  God. 
Not  of  works  lest  any  man  should  boast.  Now  to 
him  that  worketh  the  reward  is  not  reckoned  of 
grace  but  of  debt ;  but  to  him  that  worketh  not, 


but  believeth  on  him  wliojustitieth  the  ungodly, 
his  faith  is  counted  unto  him  for  righteousness." 
As  it  is  perfectly  evident  that  these  passages,  on 
the  very  face  of  them,  were  designed  to  set  forth 
the  grace  and  salvation  of  God  in  a  way  to  exclude 
the  works  of  the  saved  as  the  ground  of  such  salva- 
tion, the  argument  now  fairly  turns  in  favor  of  the 
other  side ;  for  here  are  more  passages  than  the  one 
brought  in  favour  of  the  contrary  side. 

What  is  the  next  thing  to  be  done?  Does  he  who 
predicates  salvation  on  works  undertake  to  show 
that  the  passages  last  quoted  do  not  indicate  the 
fact  for  which  they  are  adduced  ?     No,  for  this 
would  be  labour  lost :  it  would  be  as  easy  to  prove 
that  these  passages  mean  nothing.     What  then  does 
he  do  ?     He  proceeds  to  quote  some  more  scrip- 
ture on  the  other  side,  such  as  the  following;  "The 
willing  and  obedient  shall  eat  the  good  of  the  land, 
but  if   ye  rebel  ye  shall  be  devoured  with  the 
sword,  for  the  mouth  of  the  Lord  hath  spoken  it. 
The  soul  that  sinneth,  it  shall  die.     The  son  shall 
not  bear  the  iniquity  of  the  father,  neither  shall 
the  father  bear  the  iniquity  of  the  son;  the  righte- 
ousness of  the  righteous  shall  be  upon  him,  and  the 
wickedness  of  the  wicked  shall  be -upon  him.     Say 
ye  to  the  righteous,  that  it  shall  be  well  with  him; 
for  they  shall  eat  the  fruit  of  their  doings.     Woe 
unto  the  wicked!  it  shall  be  ill  with  him ;  for  the 
reward  of  his  hands  shall  be  given  him.     For  the 
son  of  man  shall  come  in  the  glory  of  his  Father, 
with  his  angels,  and  then  he  shall  reward  every 
man  according  to  his  works.     For  we  must  all  ap- 
pear before  the  judgment  seat  of  Christ,  that  every 
one  may  receive  the  things  done  in  his  body,  ac- 
cording to  that  he  hath  done,  whether  it  be  good, 
or  bad."     As  it  is  perfectly  evident  that  these  last 
quoted  passages  do  not  indicate  that  men  are  justi- 
fied without  good   works,  but  in  consequence  of 
them,  the  dispute  stands  exactly  as  it  did  when  it 


382 

began,  and  where  it  must  stand  until  these  dispu- 
tants come  to  a  determination  to  understand  parti- 
cular passages  of  the  scriptures  according  to  the 
particular  subjects  to  which  they  respectively  be- 
long. 

All  those  passages,  which  speak  of  judging  and 
rewarding  men  according  to  their  works  have  their 
true  and  just  application  to  that  divine  economy  in 
which  our  heavenly  Father  administers  to  his  mor- 
al offspring  that  discipline  which  grows  from  his 
love  and  faithfulness  and  which  our  imperfection 
requires. 

On  the  other  band,  all  those  passages  which  speak 
of  the  abundant  grace  of  God,  of  his  great  love  to 
sinners,  of  his  saving  us,  not  according  to  our  works, 
but  according  to  his  own  purpose  and  grace,  which 
was  given  unto  us  in  Christ  Jesus  before  the  world 
began,  have  their  true  and  just  application  to  that 
divinely  gracious  economy  of  the  Father  of  our 
spirits,  in  which  he  has  made  ample  provisions  for 
the  spiritual  and  eternal  welfare  of  all  mankind. 
And  if  we  '.i-e  careful  to  keep  the  different  subjects 
of  which  the  scriptures  treat,  as  distinct  from  each 
.  other  as  the  divine  testimony  requires,  we  shall 
never  apply  the  passage  under  consideration  to  the 
immortal  state  of  man,  nor  is  it  believed  by  your 
servant,  that  any  other  passage  can  be  found,  which 
speaks  of  rewarding  men  for  their  good  works,  and 
of  punishing  others  for  evil  works,  which  can,  with 
the  least  colour  of  propriety  be  applied  to  the  state 
of  man,  when  this  mortal  shall  have  put  on  immor- 
tality, and  this  corruptible  incorruption. 

To  pretend  that  it  is  not  convenient  or  proper 
for  men  to  be  rewarded  in  this  world  according  to 
their  works  here,  is  more  absurd  than  it  would  be 
to  argue,  that  it  is  not  convenient  or  proper  for 
children  to  receive  rewards  of  merit,  and  chastise- 
ments for  disobedience  at  the  school  where  they  re- 
ceive their  education.  And  to  contend  that  all  the 


383 

good  works,  and  all  the  evil  works'  done  in  this 
mortal  state  are  to  be  judged  and  recompensed  in 
the  eternal  world,  is  a  thousand  times  more  unrea- 
sonable than  it  would  be  for  a  parent  of  vast  wealth 
to  go  to  the  school  master  who  educated  his  children 
and  get  a  particular  account  of  every  thing  his 
children  did  while  at  school,  and  then  proceed  to 
make  his  last  will  and  testament  according  to  that 
account. 

To  conclude,  while  our  text  assures  us,  that  good 
works  will  never  go  unrewarded,  nor  evil  works 
unrecompensed,  it  by  no  means  intrudes  on  the 
eternal  inheritance  given  us  in  Christ  Jesus  before 
the  world  began ;  nor  does  it  in  any  way  contradict 
the  testimony,  that  "  as  in  Adam  all  die,  even  so  in 
Christ  shall  all  be  made  alive." 


No.  25. 

LECTURE  SERMON, 

DELIVERED  AT  THE 

SECOND  UNIVERSALIST  MEETING,  IN  BOSTON, 
JULY  4,  1819. 


BY  HO  SEA  BALLOU,  PASTOR. 


Published  Semi-Monthly  by  Henry  Bowen,  Congress-street. 


ZEPHANIAH,  iii.  part  17. 
"  He  will  rest  in  his  Zo»e." 

L\  this  short  book  of  the  prophecy  of  Zephaniah 
there  is  much  said  on  the  subject  of  the  sins  of  va- 
rious nations,  and  of  the  sore  punishments  which 
the  divine  ruler  had  seen  fit  to  execute  upon  them 
for  their  correction,  and  as  an  admonition  to  his 
chosen  people,  the  Jews. 

The  design  of  the  judgments  of  God  is  most 
clearly  expressed  in  the  following,  recorded  in  our 
context :  "  Therefore,  wait  ye  upon  me,  saith  the 
Lord,  until  the  day  that  I  shall  rise  up  to  the  prey ; 
for  my  determination  is  to  gather  the  nations,  that 
I  may  assemble  the  kingdoms,  to  pour  upon  them 
mine  indignation,  even  all  my  fierce  anger ;  for  all 
the  earth  shall  be  devoured  with  the  fi*e  of  my 
jealousy.  For  then  will  I  turn  to  the  people  a 
pure  language,  that  they  may  all  call  upon  the  name 
of  the  Lord,  to  serve  him  with  one  consent.'* 

The  account  here  given  by  the  prophet,  con- 
cerning the  indignation  and  fierce  anger  of  the. 
Lord,  is  of  a  very  different  nature  from  the  account 
49 


385 

of  the  same  subject,  which  is  current  in  our  times. 
The  divine  indignation  or  anger  according  to  our 
Christian  doctors,  is  totally  unmerciful ;  and  Ihose 
on  whom  it  is  fully  and  completely  executed,  no 
more  than  begin  to  feel  its  horrors  in  this  world, 
but  are  duly  prepared  by  an  astonishing  miracle, 
to  endure  the  fierceness  of  its  burning  forever  in 
the  eternal  world.  In  the  days  of  divine  inspira- 
tion and  prophecy,  when  men  "  spake  as  they  were 
movefd  by  the  Holy  Ghost,"  no  such  horrible  sen- 
timents were  held  up  to  the  people.  Then  the  de- 
solation of  cities,  the  captivity  of  their  inhabitants, 
plagues,  famines,  and  pestilences  were  among  the 
usual  denunciations  of  the  judgments  of  God  ;  but 
now,  nothing  that  can  be  suffered  in  this  world 
seems  to  answer  the  purpose ;  and  our  wise  men 
pretend  to  know  the  particulars  of  the  eternal 
world  much  better  than  of  this,  and  speak  of  the 
horrors  of  future  condemnation,  and  of  the  indig- 
nation of  the  Lord  in  that  state,  without  the  small- 
est hesitation.  Whether  they  are  correct,  or  the 
inspired  prophets  we  are  at  liberty  to  judge  for 
ourselves.  It  is  a  plain  fact  that  their  accounts 
differ,  and  that  as  widely  as  day  from  night. 

According  to  the  prophet  in  the  passage  just 
cited,  the  indignation,  even  all  the  fierce  anger  of 
the  Lord  is  poured  out  on  the  whole  earth.  No- 
thing said  of  reserving  any  for  a  future  state.  And 
what  is  worthy  of  special  notice  is,  after  all  this 
fierce  anger  of  the  Lord  is  poured  out  on  the  peo- 
ple, and  the  whole  earth  is  devoured  with  the  fire 
of  his  jealousy,  God  says,  "  then  will  I  turn  to  the 
people  a  pure  language,  that  they  may  all  call  up- 
on the  name  of  the  Lord,  and  serve  him  with  one 
consent."  So  that  the  very  same  people  who  suf- 
fer all  God's  fierce  anger,  are  thereby  prepared  to 
learn  a  pure  language  in  which  they  shall  all  call 
on  the  name  of  the  Lord,  with  dispositions  and 
hearts  to  serve  him. 


386 

As  consequences  resulting  to  the  house  of  Israel, 
from  the  execution  of  the  divine  indignation,  the 
following  is  recorded  by  the  prophet ;  "  In  that 
day  shalt  thou  not  be  ashamed  for  all  thy  doings, 
wherein  thou  hast  transgressed  against  me;  for 
then  I  will  take  away  out  of  the  midst  of  thee  them 
that  rejoice  in  thy  pride ;  and  thou  shalt  no  more 
be  haughty  because  of  my  holy  mountain.  The 
remnant  of  Israel  shall  not  do  iniquity,  nor  speak 
lies;  neither  shall  a  deceitful  tongue  be  found  in 
their  mouth :  for  they  shall  feed  and  lie  down,  and 
none  shall  make  them  afraid.  Sing,  O  daughter  of 
Zion;  shout,  O  Israel ;  be  glad  and  rejoice  with 
all  the  heart,  O  daughter  of  Jerusalem.  The  Lord 
hath  taken  away  thy  judgments,  he  hath  cast  out 
thine  enemy  ;  the  King  of  Israel,  even  the  Lord,  is 
in  the  midst  of  thee :  thou  shall  not  see  evil  any 
more.  The  Lord  thy  God  in  the  midst  of  thee  is 
mighty  ;  he  will  save,  he  will  rejoice  over  thee  with 
joy ;  he  will  rest  in  his  love ;  he  will  joy  over  thee 
with  singing." 

In  this  most  interesting  representation  we  are  led 
to  contemplate  the  happy  issue  of  the  judgments  of 
God,  even  all  his  fierce  anger,  in  the  salvation  of 
his  people,  in  their  rest  and  joy.  Even  God  him- 
self is  represented  as  rejoicing  over  them  with  joy, 
and  as  finding  rest  in  his  love  toward  them. 

In  order  that  one  may  rest  in  love  the  following 
particulars  seem  to  be  necessary. 

I.  Love  must  be  holy  and  all  its  desires  right- 
eous.    And, 

II.  The  desires  of  Jove  must  all  be  accomplished 
in  their  fullest  extent. 

To  a  moral  being  an  unholy  love  and  unlawful 
desires  are  a  source  of  inquietude,  and  the  more 
such  love  and  desires  are  indulged  the  greater  is 
the  infelicity  occasioned  by  them.  But  the  con- 
trary is  the  effect  of  a  holy  love  and  of  righteous 
and  lawful  desires.  The  more  they  are  indulged 


387 

the  greater  is  the  satisfaction,  and  the  more  perfect 
that  rest  which  results  from  such  indulgence.  The 
love  of  our  heavenly  Father  toward  his  offspring 
is  a  holy  love,  and  all  its  desires  are  lawful  and 
right.  It  is  the  holiness  of  love  and  the  lawfulness 
of  its  desires  which  justifies  all  the  means  which 
are  necessary  to  carry  these  desires  into  effect. 

This  subject  may  be  represented  by  the  love  of 
parents  toward  their  children.  The  parental  love 
is  lawful  and  all  its  desires  are  righteous.  It  looks 
on  children  with  strong  desires  for  their  improve- 
ment and  happiness.  If  they  are  disobedient,  love 
desires  their  reformation ;  and  it  is  the  purity  of 
this  love  and  the  righteousness  of  its  desires  that 
justify  those  rebukes,  warnings,  and  chastisements 
which  are  necessary  for  the  bringing  of  the  disobe- 
dient to  submit  to  those  wholesome  precepts  which 
are  alone  designed  for  their  benefit*  Take  away 
this  parental  love,  and  remove  the  desire  of  doing 
good  to  the  disobedient  child,  and  every  rebuke,  eve- 
ry admonition, and  every  punishment  inflicted, would 
be  as  destitute  of  righteousness,  as  the  heart  of  the 
parent  is  of  love.  But  where  this  holy  love  and 
these  pure  desires  are  in  exercise,  they  fully  justify 
the  greatest  severity  which  may  be  necessary  for 
the  good  of  the  disobedient.  And  here  let  us  cau- 

O 

tiously  observe,  that  the  parent  never  finds  rest  un- 
til all  that  love  desires  is  accomplished.  While 
stubbornness  and  disobedience  remain  in  the  child, 
and  during  the  administration  of  chastisement,  the 
parent  has  no  rest.  Anxiety,  pity,  grief,  love  and 
tender  affections  mingle  in  the  feeling  heart  with 
indignation,  severity  and  faithfulness;  but  when 
this  stubbornness  is  subdued,  and  the  disobedient 
heart  brought  to  submit,  how  calm,  how  quiet  is 
the  rest  which  the  parent  finds  in  that  victori- 
ous love,  which  has  now  conquered  all  opposition, 
and  carried  into  effect  its  utmost  desires.  If  the 
parent  could  find  rest  in  the  administration  of  pun- 


ishment,  then  in  order  to  continue  this  rest,  the 
punishment  would  be  protracted  ;  but  rest  is  taken 
after  the  labour  is  clone,  and  the  longer  the  labour 
continues,  the  longer  rest  is  defered. 

To  apply  our  metaphor,  we  may  observe,  that 
God's  love  toward  mankind  is  a  holy  love,  and  all 
the  desires  of  that  love  are  righteous.  The  holi- 
ness of  his  love  and  the  righteousness  of  its  desires 
sanctify  his  severest  judgments  and  direct  them  all 
to  the  accomplishment  of  the  desires  of  love. 

The  figure  of  expression  used  in  our  text  is  very 
strong;  it  seems  to  represent  the  divine  Being  as 
being  in  want  of  rest  from  the  exercise  of  his  se- 
verity and  indignation,  and  as  finding  that  rest  in 
his  love  toward  those  whom  he  had  chastised,  by 
pouring  on  them  all  his  fierce  anger,  which  termi- 
nated in  their  subjection  to  his  will.  But  the  scrip- 
tures, without  intending  to  represent  the  Almighty 
as  being  changeable,  use  such  metaphors  for  the 
purpose  of  conveying  an  idea  of  the  ultimate  de- 
sign and  goodness  of  God,  in  all  his  works. 

Where  we  have  an  account  of  the  creation  of  all 
things,  we  are  informed  that  God  proceeded  with 
his  work  day  after  day  for  six  days,  and  when  he 
had  ended  his  work,  he  rested  on  the  seventh.  But 
here  let  us  remark,  that  he  rested  in  his  love,  for 
he  was  .able,  after  taking  a  perfect  survey  of  all 
his  works,  to  pronounce  the  whole  "  very  good." 
If  there  had  been  any  part  of  the  creation  which 
would  not  answer  the  purpose  for  which  it  was 
made,  God  would  not  have  pronounced  it  good, 
nor  could  he  have  loved  that  which  was  not  good, 
nor  could  he  have  rested  in  his  love. 

Man  was  the  last  work  which  the  divine  Creator 
performed,  and  man  he  made  in  his  own  image. 
Man  he  stiles  his  offspring,  he  calls  himself  our  Fa- 
ther, and  he  directs  his  providence  and  grace  in  a 
way  to  provide  for  us,  and  to  bring  us  to  the  en- 
joyment of  himself. 


389 

When  man  had  sinned,  and  God  came  to  him  in 
the  cool  of  the  day,  he  pronounced  his  judgments 
with  such  limitations  as  to  manifest  his  purpose  in 
the  final  deliverance  of  his  sinful  children  from  the 
power  of  the  tempter  by  the  seed  of  the  woman 
who  should  bruise  his  head.  Thus  we  see  that  God 
rests  no  where  but  in  his  love. 

Had  the  creator  on  this  occasion,  denounced  on 
man  the  malediction  of  never  ending  misery,  ac- 
cording to  the  doctrine  of  our  catechism  ;  and  had 
it  been  his  pleasure  to  inform  them,  as  the  writers 
of  our  creeds  have  informed  us,  that  by  this  first 
transgression  the  whole  posterity  of  Adam  and  Eve 
had  become  liable  to  the  pains  of  hell  forever,  we 
could  hardly  find  how  to  reconcile  this  doctrine 
with  the  idea  that  our  heavenly  Father  rests  no 
where  but  in  his  love. 

It  may  be  profitable  in  this  place,  though  it  be 
painful,  to  spend  a  few  reflections  on  the  resting 
place,  which  the  wisdom  of  this  world  has  invented 
for  the  Father  of  our  spirits.  This  invention,  in 
order  to  accommodate  our  heavenly  father  with  the 
most  perfect  and  quiet  rest,  has  assigned  a  great 
part  of  his  rational  offspring  to  the  most  exquisite 
torments  which  improved  imagination  has  been 
able  to  suggest,  and  has  assigned  the  execution 
of  this  torture  to  him !  That  parents  may  not 
only  see  this  subject,  but  feel  a  little  by  having  it 
represented  in  subordination  to  our  understanding, 
we  may  suppose  a  similar  invention  for  the  accom- 
modation of  the  parent  of  a  numerous  family,  to 
give  him  the  most  perfect  rest.  Thus  three  quar- 
ters of  his  children  are  to  suffer  the  most  exquisite 
torments  which  human  invention  can  devise;  and 
to  have  this  torture  so  administered  as  to  be  pro- 
tracted for  a  long  time,  and  the  parent  himself  must 
execute  this  punishment ! 

Parents,  would  you  call  this  a  bed  of  roses  ?  Do 
you  wish  to  repose  your  weary  limbs,  after  care- 
fully nursing  and  bringing  up  children,  on  such 


390 

down  as  this?  Disgusted,  you  reply,  why  do  you 
torture  our  feelings  and  grate  our  ears  with  such 
unnatural  similes? 

We  deserve  to  have  our  feelings  harrowed  with 
these  thorns,  with  these  briars  and  thistles,  for  we 
have  spread  them  out  by  our  wicked  inventions  for 
our  merciful  and  compassionate  Father  in  heaven 
to  rest  himself  on  to  all  eternity !  The  creeds  of 
the  Christian  church  now  contain  the  invention  un- 
der consideration,  our  preachers  dwell  upon  it,  and 
on  its  different  parts,  with  an  earnestness  by  which 
they  evince  their  zeal  for  God,  and  professors  pa- 
tiently hear  this  doctrine  proclaimed,  and  pro- 
nounce it  wholesome  orthodoxy.  As  long  as  this 
remains  to  be  the  case,  a  hope  is  entertained  that 
people  in  one  way  or  another,  will  be  made  to  hear 
their  doctrine  applied  in  a  way  to  make  them  feel 
its  effects. 

However  men  may  err  in  their  inventions,  how- 
ever they  may  attribute  the  worst  of  designs  to  God, 
he  is  of  one  mind  and  none  can  turn  him.  The 
love  in  which  he  rested  on  the  seventh  day,  after  he 
had  created  all  things,  is  the  same  love  which  he 
manifested  after  man  had  sinned.  This  is  the  love 
which  he  has  had  in  view  in  the  administration  of 
all  his  judgments,  arid  the  same  which  he  has  man- 
ifested through  Jesus  for  the  salvation  of  mankind 
from  sin  and  death.  The  hearer  will  recollect  that 
we  have  said  that  in  order  for  one  to  rest  in  love, 
all  that  love  desires  must  be  accomplished.  This 
idea  is  within  your  easy  comprehension.  If  one 
has  a  desired  object,  an  object  of  the  most  affection- 
ate regard  in  view,  but  great  difficulties  and  dan- 
gers lie  in  the  way  of  obtaining  this  object,  you 
know  that  this  condition  is  by  no  means  calculated 
to  give  rest.  But  if  the  difficulties  become  sur- 
mounted, and  the  dangers  removed,  and  the  longed 
for  object  finally  obtained,  the  successful  soul  finds 
rest  in  love.  Thus  Joseph  the  persecuted  brother, 


391 

tenderly  loved  his  brethren,  suffered  many  things 
for  their  profit,  overcome  all  embarrassments  and 
finally  received  them  all  under  his  safe  protection 
and  found  a  calm,  a  sweet  repose  in  his  love.  To 
prove  them,  to  try  them,  for  a  season  he  treated 
them  roughly,  and  with  seventy.  He  accused  them 
of  being  spies,  come  to  see  the  nakedness  of  the 
land.  He  kept  Simeon  bound  while  he  sent  the 
rest  to  their  families.  He  directed  the  silver  cup 
to  be  deposited  in  Benjamin's  sack,  he  gave  orders 
for  his  arrest,  and  greatly  tried  the  hearts  x>f  those 
who  had  sold  him;  but  during  all  this  time  Joseph 
did  not  rest  in  this  manifestation  of  anger.  How 
often  did  he  weep  alone  with  love,  pity,  and  grief 
for  his  brethren ;  but  when  he  had  humbled  them 
enough  and  made  himself  known  to  them,  embraced 
them  all  and  granted  them  forgiveness,  he  rested  in 
his  love.  Had  he  failed  in  his  heart's  desire  of  see- 
ing all  his  brethren  duly  humbled,  and  had  two 
thirds  of  the  whole  utterly  refused  to  acknowledge 
their  faults,  or  submit  themselves  to  him,  we  may 
reasonably  suppose,  that  he  would  not  have  enjoy- 
ed that  rest  in  his  love  which  he  did  when  he  fed 
them  all  at  his  own  table. 

Let  the  mind  pass  from  this  circumstance  to  the 
consideration  of  the  love  of  God  to  mankind  and 
to  consider  the  extent  of  mercy's  design  as  mani- 
fested through  Jesus.  The  following  passages  re- 
late to  this  subject.  "  For  God  so  loved  the  world, 
that  he  gave  his  only  begotten  son,  that  whosoever 
believeth  in  him,  should  not  perish,  but  have  ever- 
lasting life.  For  God  sent  not  his  son  into  the 
world  to  condemn  the  world;  but  that  the  world 
through  him  might  be  saved.  But  God  commend- 
eth  his  love  toward  us,  in  that,  while  we  were  yet 
enemies,  Christ  died  for  us.  Herein  is  love,  not 
that  we  loved  God,  but  that  he  loved  us,  and  sent 
his  Son  to  be  the  propitiation  for  our  sins.  We 
have  seen  and  do  testify  that  the  Father  sent  the 


392 

Son  to  be  the  Saviour  of  the  world."  By  these 
passages  we  learn  that  the  grand  design  of  the  Fa- 
ther's love  in  sending  the  son  into  the  world  was  to 
save  the  world,  and  this  design  must  be  fully  ac- 
complished in  order  for  the  Father  to  rest  in  his 
love.  My  friends,  you  know  that  love  which  de- 
sires that  which  we  can  never  obtain,  in  room  of 
affording  us  rest,  gives  us  uneasiness.  Now  if 
the  design  or  desire  of  the  Father's  love  is  the  sal- 
vation of  the  world,  how  can  he  ever  find  rest  in 
his  love  if  this  desire  is  never  accomplished?  But 
he  worketh  all  things  after  the  council  of  his  own 
will.  His  judgments  and  his  mercies  will  be  em- 
ployed and  well  directed  to  their  object,  until  the 
vast  design  of  lore  is  completed  in  the  reconcilia- 
tion of  all  things  to  God,  who  will  forever  rest  in 
his  love.  Thus  are  the  judgments  of  God  explained 
in  the  song  of  Moses  the  servant  of  God,  and  the 
song  of  the  Lamb.  "  Great  and  marvellous  are  thy 
works,  Lord  God  Almighty  ;  just  and  true  are  thy 
ways,  thou  king  of  saints.  Who  shall  not  fear 
thee,  O  Lord,  arid  glorify  thy  name  ?  for  thou  only 
art  holy ;  for  all  nations  shall  come  and  worship 
before  thee ;  for  thy  judgments  are  made  manifest." 

The  divine  economy  in  the  moral  system  may  be 
represented  by  a  bountiful  and  benevolent  provi- 
dence, by  which  our  temporal  wants  are  satisfied. 
Winter,  in  which  appears  no  promise  of  bread  in 
future,  spring,  in  which  promises  but  just  make 
their  appearance,  and  summer  full  of  labour  and 
toil  precede  the  bountiful  autumn,  when  rest  and 
festivity  cause  to  forget  the  labours  of  the  past  sea- 
sons, and  we  find  that  all  has  happily  terminated 
for  good. 

This  general  subject  may  be  contemplated  to 

advantage,  by  taking  into  consideration  the  labors 

and  sufferings  of  our  blessed  Redeemer,  all  which 

terminate  in  giving  him  rest  in  his  love.     After  the 

50 


393 

prophet  Isaiah  gave  a  most  circumstantial  account 
of  the  Saviour's  sufferings  and  the  object  of  them, 
in  which  account  he  stales  the  following :  «'  He  was 
wounded  for  our  transgressions,  he  was  bruised  for 
our  iniquities;  the  chastisement  of  our  peace  was 
upon  him  ;  and  with  his  stripes  we  are  healed,"  he 
further  says;  "He  shall  see  of  the  travail  of  his 
soul,  and  shall  be  satisfied  ;  by  his  knowledge  shall 
my  righteous  servant  justify  many  for  he  shall  bear 
their  iniquities."  St.  Paul  informs  us  that  the  man 
Christ  Jesus  gave  himself  a  ransom  for  all  men  to 
be  testified  in  due  time,  and  that  he  by  the  grace 
of  God  tasted  death  fot  every  man.  And  St.  John 
says,  he  is  the  propitiation  for  the  sins  of  the  whole 
world.  Jesus  himself  says;  the  true  shepherd  lay- 
eth  down  his  life  for  the  sheep.  Now  these  pas- 
sages all  go  to  show  what  was  the  desire  of  the  Sa- 
viour's heart,  "  who  loved  us  and  washed  us  from 
our  sins  in  his  own  blood.'*  And  they  contain  evi- 
dence that  the  whole  of  his  desire  will  finally  be 
accomplished.  When  this  is  done,  it  will  be  evi- 
dent that  he  rests  in  his  love. 

When  Jesus  wept  over  Jerusalem,  and  said  ;  "  O 
Jerusalem,  Jerusalem,  thou  that  killest  the  prophet*, 
and  stonest  them  which  are  sent  unto  thee,  how 
often  would  I  have  gathered  thy  children  together, 
even  as  a  hen  gathereth  her  chickens  under  her 
wings,  and  ye  would  not !  Behold  your  house  is 
left  unto  you  desolate ;  he  further  added  ;  for  I 
say  unto  you,  ye  shall  not  see  me  henceforth,  till 
ye  shall  say,  blessed  is  he  that  cometh  in  the  name 
of  the  Lord."  It  is  worthy  of  notice,  that  in  this 
instance,  and  on  this  most  interesting  occasion,  the 
Saviour  terminated  his  prophetic  malediction  in  a 
way  to  give  place  to  his  blessed  appearance  and 
his  being  hailed  with  "  Blessed  is  he  that  cometh 
in  the  name  of  the  Lord."  Thus  the  blessed  Jesus 
rested  no  where  but  in  his  love. 


394 

When  on  the  cross,  at  the  close  of  his  sufferings, 
the  dear  Redeemer  manifested  that  love  was  his 
resting  place.  He  prayed  for  his  enemies,  saying ; 
"  Father  forgive  them,  for  they  know  not  what 
they  do." 

Keep  in  mind  that  the  whole  which  love  desires 
must  be  accomplished  in  order  that  love  may  give 
rest.  If  the  Saviour  loved  his  enemies,  if  he  loved 
sinners,  if  he  designed  their  redemption,  their  for- 
giveness, and  salvation,  can  he  ever  rest  in  this  love 
unless  this  desire  be  granted  ?  "  He  shall  see  of 
the  travail  of  his  soul  and  be  satisfied."  But  he 
never  can  be  satisfied  with  any  thing  short  of  the 
joy  that  was  sat  before  him,  for  which  he  endured 
the  cross,  and  despised  the  shame. 

If,  as  has  been  erroneously  held,  and  is  now  be- 
lieved and  taught,  after  the  dispensation  of  divine 
mercy  through  Jesus  Christ,  shall  have  accomplish- 
ed all  it  ever  will  accomplish  ;  if  after  it  has  recon- 
ciled all  that  it  ever  will  reconcile,  millions  are  to 
remain  in  eternal  rebellion  under  the  dominion  of 
sin,  darkness  and  death ;  and  if  the  same  blessed 
mediator,  who  gave  himself  a  ransom  for  all  men, 
who  is  the  propitiation  for  the  sins  of  the  whole 
world,  who  by  the  grace  of  Go,d  tasted  death  for 
every  man,  is  to  execute  on  those  wretched  millions 
never  ending  wrath,  how  is  it  that  he  can  ever  rest 
in  his  love  ? 

The  prophet  Isaiah  calls  the  promised  Shiloh, 
"the  everlasting  Father  and  the  Prince  of  Peace." 
But  with  what  propriety  he  can  be  called  a  father 
to  those  for  whom  he  has  no  mercy  is  utterly  in- 
conceivable;  or  how  he  is  properly  called  the 
prince  of  peace,  when  he  is  the  administrator  of 
endless  wrath  on  his  own  subjects,  is  truly  difficult 
to  understand. 

Let  us  again  repeat,  in  order  that  love  may  give 
rest,  all  that  love  desires  must  be  accomplished, 


395 

St.  Paul  exhorted  husbands  lo  love  their  "  wives, 
even  as  Christ  loved  the  church,  arid  gave  himself 
for  it ;  that  he  might  sanctify  and  cleanse  it  with  the 
washing  of  water  by  the  word ;  that  he  might  pre- 
sent it  to  himself  a  glorious  church,  not  having 
spot  or  wrinkle,  or  any  such  thing ;  but  that  il 
should  be  holy  and  without  blemish."  According 
to  this  declaration  Christ  gave  himself  for  the 
church  because  he  loved  it,  and  because  he  loved 
it  he  undertook  to  sanctify  and  cleanse  it,  that  he 
might  free  it  from  every  spot  arid  wrinkle,  and  pre- 
sent it  to  himself  a  glorious  church.  This  same 
Apostle  says  that  Christ  gave  himself  a  ransom  for 
all  men.  All  men  are  therefore  of  his  church.  His 
church  was  unsanctified,  unclean,  full  of  spots  and 
wrinkles,  and  inglorious ;  but  by  the  ministration 
of  the  word  of  life,  he  will  sanctify  and  cleanse  it. 
But  short  of  the  completion  of  this  work,  he  cannot 
rest  in  his  love.  The  uncleanness  of  human  nature 
was  the  reason  why  his  love  moved  him  to  the  min- 
istration of  his  cleansing  word,  and  as  long  as  one 
spot  or  wrinkle  remains  the  washing  must  be  con- 
tinued ;  but  when  sin  is  finished,  when  all  shall 
know  the  Lord  from  the  least  to  the  greatest,  then 
will  that  love  which  moved  the  Saviour  to  give 
himself  for  us,  afford  a  heaven  of  rest  to  him  whose 
soul  travailed  for  man's  salvation. 

Our  subject  may  be  profitably  contemplated  by 
applying  it  to  the  love  which  actuates  the  Christian's 
heart ;  and  especially  to  the  love  which  moves  the 
faithful  minister  of  Jesus  Christ  to  be  vigilant  in 
his  ministry.  And  here  let  us  remark,  that  as  Jesus 
undertook  the  ministry  of  his  grace  from  pure  love 
to  sinners,  so  it  is  indispensably  necessary  that  the 
ministers  of  his  word  of  life  should  have  the  same 
love  which  moved  their  divine  master  to  our  re- 
demption. If  Jesus  had  had  no  love  for  mankind, 
if  he  had  been  as  strenuous  for  man's  endless  mise- 


3915 

ry  as  many  appear  to  be  in  our  day,  he  never  would 
have  given  himself  for  us.  Remember  the  caution 
which  our  Saviour  observed  with  Peter.  "  Simon 
Peter,  lovest  thou  me  ?'*  being  answered  in  the  af- 
firmative, says ;  "  feed  my  sheep."  He  did  not  say, 
terrify  and  frighten  my  sheep ;  but  feed  my  sheep; 
and  Peter  did  most  faithfully  feed  the  sheep  ;  and 
it  was  because  of  the  love  which  he  bore  to  the  w 
chief  shepherd,  and  to  the  sheep.  And  this  was 
the  case  with  the  whole  of  that  immortal  band  of 
Apostles  who  went  forth  to  feed  the  flock,  which 
Christ  had  purchased  with  his  own  blood,  and  to 
wash  the  church  with  the  washing  of  water  by  the 
word.  They  laboured,  they  suffered,  but  they  had 
peace  and  rest.  They  rested  in  that  triumphant 
love  which  incited  them  to  the  work  of  the  minis- 
try. But  this  love  could  have  given  them  no  rest, 
if  it  had  not  the  power  to  promise  success  to  their 
labours. 

For  many  centuries  the  ministry  in  the  Christian 
church  has  seemed  to  labour  more  to  persuade  peo- 
ple into  a  belief  of  the  general  failure  of  the  gospel 
dispensation,  than  to  inspire  a  hope  that  its  success 
will  eventually  correspond  with  the  universal  and 
impartial  love  of  the  Saviour  ;  and  though  the 
preachers  have  uniformly  professed  great  love  for 
sinners,  and  a  willingness  to  exert  all  their  means 
to  prevent  the  everlasting  ruin  of  souls,  yet  they 
have  as  constantly  insisted  that  they  shall  rejoice 
in  heaven  to  see  the  unconverted  part  of  their  con- 
gregations in  a  state  of  hopeless  misery !  But  how 
is  this  consistent  with  the  idea  of  resting  in  their 
love  ?  It  is  easy  to  conceive  how  the  minister  of 
the  word  rests  in  his  love  to  the  people  and  to  the 
gospel,  if  he  has  the  prospect  bright  before  him,  of 
the  final,  full,  and  entire  success  of  the  ministry. — 
St  Paul  says  ;  "  Having  this  ministry  we  faint  not." 
But  what  is  the  peculiar  nature  of  this  ministry 


397 

which  caused  the  Apostles  not  to  faint?  See  the 
answer  in  the  same  Apostle's  words  ;  "  Who  hath 
made  us  able  ministers  of  the  IS'ew  Testament,  not 
of  the  letter,  but  of  the  spirit ;  for  the  letter  killeth, 
but  the  spirit  giveth  life."  Possessing  the  love  for 
mankind  which  the  Apostles  evidently  did,  they 
must  have  fainted  if  their  ministry  had  been  a  min- 
istry of  death;  but  their  ministry  was  a  ministiy 
of  life,  of  righteousness,  and  reconciliation,  in  which 
they  laboured  that  they  might  "  present  every  man 
perfect  in  Christ  Jesus." 

The  same  spirit  of  love,  which  gives  rest  to  the 
faithful  minister  of  the  word  of  life,  is  the  rest  of  ev- 
ery true  believer.  It  is  acknowledged  by  all  denom- 
inations of  Christians,  that  the  spirit  of  Christ  is  the 
spirit  of  love,  and  that  this  love  extends  to  all  man- 
kind. With  the  different  persuasions  among  us, 
there  is  but  one  sentiment  on  this  subject.  All 
Christian  people  profess  to  love  the  whole  human 
family,  and  to  pray  for  the  salvation  of  all.  Now 
since  this  is  uniformly  the  case,  let  us  ask,  what  rest 
ean  they  have  while  exercising  this  generous  love 
and  benevolence,  and  yet  believing  that  millions 
of  their  fellow  creatures  must  inevitably,  not  only 
be  excluded  the  joys  and  peace  of  heaven,  but  be 
the  subjects  of  positive  misery  forever? 

It  is  true  we  have  been  told  the  extravagant  sto- 
ry that  the  saints  in  heaven  will  rejoice  forever  in 
the  everlasting  misery  of  the  unconverted.  We 
have  been  told,  that  parents  will  rejoice  in  the  sen- 
tence of  endless  condemnation  passed  on  their  own 
offspring  in  the  eternal  world !  But  will  this  be 
resting  in  love  ?  If  parents  have  as  much  love  for 
their  children  in  the  next  state  as  they  have  here, 
will  that  love  allow  them  to  rest  in  heaven,  while 
their  offspring  are  tortured  in  everlasting  burnings? 
No,  allowing  the  doctrine  of  future  endless  misery, 
those  who  rest  must  rest  in  eternal  hatred !  but  HI 
hatred  there  is  no  rest. 


398 

My  brethren,  did  you  ever  find  rest  in  a  spirit  of 
enmity  ?  in  a  disposition  to  rejoice  in  another's 
misery  ?  Is  it  possible  for  unmerciful  wrath  to  give 
rest  ?  No,  if  we  ever  find  rest  either  in  this  world 
or  in  the  next,  it  must  be  in  love.  And  love,  that 
it  may  give  rest,  must  have  its  vast  desires  accom- 
plished. 

What  an  unbounded  field  of  glory  and  beauty 
our  subject  presents  to  our  rejoicing  eyes !  The 
vast,  the  unbounded,  the  incomprehensible  love  of 
our  heavenly  Father,is-his  eternal  rest.  After  all  his 
judgments,  after  all  his  righteous  indignation  is  ful- 
filled on  all  his  enemies,  he  will  retain  his  unchange- 
able love  to  all  his  offspring,  and  rest  forever  in 
seeing  all  the  desires  of  his  universal,  impartial  love 
fully  accomplished. 

Jesus,  the  mediator,  who  loved  us  and  gave  him- 
self for  us,  shall  see  of  the  travail  of  his  soul,  and 
be  satisfied,  shall  see  all  the  desires  of  his  heart  ac- 
complished, shall  have  the  heathen  for  his  inheri- 
tance and  the  uttermost  parts  of  the  earth  for  his 
possession,  and  shall  rest  in  his  love  for  mankind 
forever. 

The  Apostles  of  the  Lamb,  who  following  the 
steps  and  the  example  of  their  divine  master,  loved 
the  human  race,  laboured  in  the  ministry  of  right- 
eousness, and  reconciliation,  suffered  the  loss  of 
all  earthly  things  for  the  establishment  and  promo- 
tion of  the  truth,  shall  see  all  the  desires  of  their 
love  fulfilled,  and  rest  in  their  love. 

All  the  faithful  successors  of  the  Apostles,  in  the 
ministry,  who  have  been  excited  by  the  powerful 
influences  of  the  spirit  of  love,  to  fulfill  their  minis- 
try, in  the  Lord  Jesus,  tp  testify  the  gospel  of  the 
grace  of  God,  shall  see  all  the  desires  of  their  love 
fulfilled  in  the  reconciliation  of  all  things  to  God, 
fhrough  Jesus,  and  shall  rest  forever  in  their  love. 


Every  true  believer  in  Jesus,  who  Lath  been 
quickened  by  the  spirit  of  the  gospel,  which  is  the 
spirit  of  love,  shall  see  the  boundless  desires  of  his 
heart  fulfilled  in  the  subjection  of  every  creature 
in  heaven  and  on  earth,  to  the  authority  and  love 
of  Christ,  and  shall  forever  rest  in  his  love. 

To  conclude — My  friends,  let  us  never  seek  rest 
but  in  love.  "  Let  not  the  sun  go  down  upon  your 
wrath."  "  Let  us  love  one  another,  for  love  is  of 
God."  "  He  that  loveth  another  hath  fulfilled  the 
law." 


No.  26. 

LECTURE  SERMON, 

DELIVERED  AT  THE 

SECOND  UNIVERSALIST  MEETING,  IN  BOSTON, 
JULY  18,  1819. 


BY  HOSEA  BALLOU,  PASTOR. 


Published  Semi-Monthly  by  Henry  Bowen,  Congress-street. 

MARK  v.  31. 

"  Thou  seest  the  vfiultitudt  thronging  thee,  and  sayesl  thou,  who  touched 

me .?" 

THE  occasion  of  these  words  was  the  following 
circumstance.  One  of  the  rulers  of  the  synagogue, 
of  the  name  of  Jairus,  came  to  Jesus,  and  falling 
down  at  his  feet,  besought  him  most  earnestly,  say- 
ing, "  my  little  daughter  lies  at  the  point  of  death. 
I  pray  thee  come  and  lay  thy  hands  upon  her,  that 
she  may  be  healed,  and  she  shall  live."  The  com- 
passionate Saviour  was  moved  at  a  petition  which 
flowed  so  directly  from  a  parent's  heart,  and  which 
indicated  such  strong  faith  in  his  power  to  heal. 
He  immediately  went  with  the  afflicted  father. 
%No  sooner  was  it  known  that  he  was  going  to  heal 
the  sick  child,  than  a  great  crowd  of  people  follow- 
ed and  pressed  hard  upon  him.  They  were,  no 
doubt,  extremely  anxious  to  be  eye  witnesses  of  the 
miracle.  In  this  vast  concourse  there  was  a  woman, 
who  had  been  afflicted  for  twelve  years  with  a  dis- 
tressing disorder,  "  and  had  suffered  many  things 
of  many  physicians,  and  had  spent  all  that  she 
had,  and  was  nothing  bettered,  but  rather  grew 
worse."  This  afflicted  woman  had  lost  all  hopes 
of  recovery  by  the  assistance  of  human  aid  ;  indeed 
51 


401 

she  was  poor  and  pennyless.  Her  little  estate  had 
already  passed  over  into  the  hands  of  her  physicians, 
who  in  room  of  doing  her  any  good,  had  caused  her 
many  painful  sufferings.  Destitute,  alone  and 
friendless,  a  thought  came  into  her  mind,  and  it  im- 
mediately formed  itself  into  a  resolution  accom- 
panied with  a  perfect  confidence,  that  if  she  could, 
by  any  possible  means,  press  through  the  crowd  of 
people  so  as  to  but  touch  the  clothes  of  Jesus  she 
should  be  made  whole. 

It  is  scarcely  possible  to  imagine  a  circumstance 
more  calculated  to  excite  exertion  than  this.  She 
was,  no  doubt,  a  very  feeble  person,  a  great  multi- 
tude of  people  were  crowding,  and  pressing  to  keep 
close  to  Jesus  that  they  might  not  miss  of  seeing  the 
miracle.  The  difficulty  of  getting  through  the 
crowd  was,  no  doubt,  very  great;  but  salvation 
was  so  near  and  so  desirable,  that  it  invigorated 
her  feeble  system  to  such  a  degree  that  her  efforts 
were  availing.  It  is  not  unlikely  that  we  may  form 
a  pretty  correct  idea  of  the  manner  of  this  woman's 
exertions  on  this  occasion.  She  would  naturally 
direct  her  eyes  toward  Jesus  and  get  a  glimpse  of 
him  as  often  as  possible ;  when  it  so  happened  that 
she  could,  by  the  greatest  exertion  get  before  one 
of  the  crowd,  she  never  let  the  opportunity  slip  ; 
one  step  gained  was  cautiously  kept;  she  was  care- 
ful that  no  one  should  crowd  her  back  ;  she  looked 
well  to  her  feet  that  they  should  not  slide  ;  spake 
not  a  word  to  any  one  lest  she  might  miss  an  op- 
portunity to  advance ;  the  nearer  she  gets  to  the 
prize  the  stronger  and  more  active  she  grows,  till 
she  eagerly  reaches  forth  her  hand  and  touches  the 
garment  of  the  Saviour.  She  now  realizes  her 
faith,  her  confidence  has  not  deceived  her,  she  is 
made  whole. 

Though  this  woman  did  not  once  think  that  the 
Saviour  was  apprehensive  of  her  approach,  we  have 
good  reason  to  believe  that  he  who  knew  the  very 


402 

thoughts  of  men's  hearts,  who  saw  Nathaniel  under 
the  fig-tree,  knew  her  case,  her  faith  and  the  efforts 
she  had  made  to  come  to  him.  Immediately  after 
this  woman  touched  his  garment,  he  turned  himself 
about  in  the  press  and,  as  if  surprised  that  any  one 
should  touch  him,  said,  who  touched  my  clothes  ? 
The  disciples,  being  ignorant  of  the  particular  case, 
and  surprised  that  their  master  should  ask  who 
touched  him,  when  he  had,  for  some  time,  been 
pressed  with  the  crowd  of  people  all  around  him, 
said  to  him,  "  thou  seest  the  multitude  thronging 
thee,  and  sayest  thou  who  touched  me  ?"  Jesus 
made  them  no  reply,  but  cast  his  eyes  round  to  see 
her,  who  had  done  this  thing,  when  the  woman,  fear- 
ing and  trembling,  knowing  what  was  done  in  her, 
come  and  fell  down  before  him,  and  told  him  all 
the  truth.  And  he  said  unto  her,  "  daughter,  thy 
faith  hath  made  the  whole;  go  in  peace,  and  be 
whole  of  thy  plague." 

Our  subject,  as  it  now  lies  before  us,  seems  to 
suggest  the  following  particulars  for  consideration. 

I.  What  appertains  to  the  subject  of  the  power 
of  Jesus  to  heal  the  natural  disorders  of  the  human 
body. 

II.  The  consideration  of  this  power  as  indicating 
the  moral  excellency  of  the  doctrine  of  Jesus,  and 
its  efficacy  in  removing  the  moral  and  spiritual 
maladies  of  mankind. 

III.  The  similarity  between  the  disorders  of  the 
body  and  those  of  the  mind. 

IV.  As  there  were  no  natural  complaints  that 
were  too  malignant  to  be  cured  by  the  miracu- 
lous power  of  Jesus,  it  seems  to  justify  the  infer- 
ence that  there  are  no  cases  of  moral  or  spiritual 
disorder,  which  are  beyond  the  reach  of  the  divine 
efficacy  of  his  grace. 

V.  The  natural  inducements  which  led  the  in- 
firm to  Jesus,  may  be  used  to  represent  those  of 


403 

a  moral  nature  which  lead  the  rational  mind  to  the 
doctrine  of  Christ. 

YJ.  A  noticeable  difference  in  the  motives  of 
people  who  crowd  the  places  of  public  worship 
where  the  healing  doctrine  of  Jesus  is  preached,  is 
signified  by  the  crowding  multitude  who  pressed 
continually  on  Jesus,  and  the  special  cause  of  the 
woman's  approach.  And 

VII.  The  resolution  and  perseverance  of  this 
woman  may  be  used  in  a  way  to  encourage  sinners 
to  come  to  Christ. 

But  that  the  hearer  may  not  be  troubled  to  re- 
tain these  particulars,  the  whole  subject,  we  say, 
is  to  be  seen  by  examining  it  in  a  natural  and  mor- 
al sense. 

The  miraculous  power  of  Jesus  was  so  manifest- 
ed, that  even  his  bitterest  enemies  did  not  pretend 
to  deny  that  miracles  were  wrought  by  him  ;  they 
however,  attributed  that  power  to  an  evil  demon, 
or  Beelzebub. 

The  miracles  of  Jesus  were  done  in  such  a  pub- 
lic manner,  and  in  such  vast  numbers,  that  not  only 
his  keenest  eyed  enemies,  who  surely  would  have 
been  able  to  have  detected  any  imposition  on  the 
public,  were  fully  convinced,  but  the  thousands 
who  were  healed  of  all  manner  of  diseases,  remain- 
ing among  the  people  of  different  parts  of  the 
country,  were  living  testimonies  by  which  these 
miracles  were  established,  and  the  fame  of  the  di- 
vine physician  sent  abroad  through  every  region. 

Respecting  these  miraculous  cures,  it  is  of  im- 
portance to  notice,  that  no  partiality  was  ever 
known  to  have  any  influence  in  the  bestowment  of 
such  favours;  nor  have  we  any  account,  that  any 
worthiness  in  the  subject  was  ever  inquired  for,  or 
that  any  known  unworthiness  excluded  any  from 
these  mercies.  In  these  particulars  the  miraculous 
cures  wrought  by  Jesus,  bear  the  indubitable  tnarks 
of  the  true  divinity.  Had  Jesus  made  any  distinc-» 


404  v 

tions,  and  had  he  healed  some  and  refused  to  heal 
others  in  the  same  condition,  the  use  of  his  mira- 
culous power  would  have  exhibited  infallible 
marks  ol  the  wisdom  of  this  world,  which  has  for 
ages  subverted  the  gospel  of  Christ,  by  teaching  for 
doctrine  the  vain  tradition,  that  some  only  of  the 
human  race  were  elected  from  all  eternity  unto 
everlasting  life,  while  the  residue  were  by  as  early 
a  decree,  reprobated  from  the  divine  favour  for- 
ever. But  the  blessed  Jesus  neither  preached  not- 
practiced  such  a  sentiment.  Again,  had  the  Sa- 
viour been  careful  to  confer  his  miraculous  favours 
according  to  character,  had  he  minutely  inves- 
tigated the  conduct  of  the  infirm  and  sick  and  con- 
fined his  favours  to  the  virtuous,  he  Would  then 
have  given,  by  way  of  example,  some  support  to 
the  doctrine  of  men,  in  which  they  have  confined 
the  favor  and  mercy  of  God  to  the  virtuous.  But 
Jesus  said,  "  1  am  not  come  to  call  the  righteous, 
but  sinners  to  repentance." 

We  have  every  reason  necessary  for  believing, 
that  the  gracious  design  of  our  heavenly  Father,  in 
giving  such  power  to  Jesus,  extended  beyond  the 
temporal  benefits  received  by  those  who  were 
healed  of  their  infirmities.  It  is  generally  argued 
by  Christians,  that  the  miracles  of  Jesus  were  de- 
signed as  evidences  of  his  Messiahship  or  divine 
mission ;  and  this  we  may  safely  believe,  and  yet 
believe  that  the  design  extends  still  further.  What 
benefit,  we  may  ask,  is  there  in  believing  that  Je- 
sus was  the  Messiah?  The  answer  is,  that  we  may 
receive  him  as  a  divine  teacher,  and  believe  in  his 
doctrine.  But  the  inquiry  does  not  end  here. 
What  benefit  is  there  in  believing  his  doctrine  ? — 
The  answer  is,  a  belief  in  his  doctrine  is  a  remedy 
for  the  moral  evil  of  our  nature  ;  or  in  other  words, 
the  doctrine  of  Jesus  is  a  cure  for  all  the  disorders 
of  sin,  and  our  belief  in  this  doctrine  is  a  mean  of 
ks  healing  effects  in  the  mind.  If  the  doctrine  of 


405 

Jesus  Christ  were  not  possessed  of  this  power,  it 
seems  impossible  to  understand  the  great  necessity 
of  its  being  propagated  in  our  world. 

The  notion  that  this  doctrine  consists  of  a  long 
string  of  abstract  articles  of  faith,  which  have  been 
written  into  human  creeds,  the  belief  of  which  is 
proposed  in  the  gospel  as  a  condition  of  our  being 
made  eternally  happy  in  a  future  sfate,  is  so  per- 
fectly destitute  of  reason,  and  so  foreign  from  the 
nature  of  events  which  take  place  in  the  system  of 
causes  and  effects,  that  it  is  by  no  means  entitled 
to  any  share  of  our  confidence. 

The  belief  of  the  truth  itself  is  of  no  other  ad- 
Yantage  than  its  effects  in  delivering  from  sin;  and 
changing  the  mind  into  the  divine  image.  The 
miraculous  cures  wrought  by  the  Saviour  consist- 
ed in  removing  the  natural  disorders  of  the  human 
body,  so  that  the  leper  was  cleansed,  the  deaf  made 
to  hear,  the  blind  to  see,  the  lame  to  walk,  and  the 
dead  to  live.  And  in  all  these  cases  the  divine 
efficacy  of  his  doctrine  was  most  plainly  indicated. 
For  it  is  the  knowledge  of  the  divine  and  glorious 
truths  which  compose  his  doctrine  that  cleanses  from 
-sin  and  moral  defilement.  God  does  not  forgive 
the  wicked  as  a  compensation  for  believing  in  cer- 
tain tenets,  but  forgiveness  of  sin  means  no  more 
nor  less  than  is  expressed  in  the  following  words  of 
scripture  ;  "  In  that  day  there  shall  be  a  fountain 
opened  to  the  house  of  David,  and  to  the  inhabi- 
tants of  Jerusalem,  for  sin  and  uncleanness.  Be- 
hold the  lamb  of  God  which  taketh  away  the  sin  of 
the  world.  Who  hath  loved  us,  and  washed  us 
from  our  sins  in  his  own  blood.  That  he  might 
sanctify  and  cleanse  it  with  the  washing  of  water  by 
the  word.  Though  your  sins  be  as  scarlet  they 
shall  be  as  white  as  snow  ;  though  they  be  red  like 
crimson,  they  shall  be  as  wool." 

Between  the  disorders  of  the  human  body,  and 
those  of  the  mind,  there  seems  to  be  no  small  re- 


406 

semblance.  Both  are  the  natural  productions  of 
the  constitution  of  the  creature,  who  was  made 
subject  to  vanity,  not  willingly,  but  by  reason  of 
him  who  subjected  the  same  in  hope.  Both  are 
promoted  by  the  indulgence  of  appetites  and  pas- 
sions, both  become  inveterate  by  habit.  Natural 
blindness  and  ignorance  of  divine  things  are  so  very 
similar  that  the  scriptures  use  the  same  word  to 
signify  both,  and  the  Saviour  represents  sinners  by 
those  who  are  sick. 

If  the  mind  of  the  hearer  has  consented  to  the 
idea  that  the  miraculous  cures  performed  by  Jesus 
on  the  bodies  of  people,  were  designed  to  indicate 
the  power  of  his  grace  to  cleanse  from  sin  and  mor- 
al defilement,  we  may  proceed  to  consider  one  of 
the  most  glorious  truths,  which  the  gospel  was  de- 
signed to  reveal.  This  great  truth  is  seen  in  the 
following  argument.  As  there  were  no  natural 
disorders  which  were  too  stubborn  for  the  miracu- 
lous power  of  Jesus  to  remove,  no  demoniac  so 
raving  that  Jesus  could  not  clothe  him  in  his  right 
mind,  none  so  strongly  locked  in  the  dark  house  of 
death  that  he  could  not  call  them  from  thence,  we 
infer,  that  no  degree  or  description  of  sin,  however 
chronical,  however  inveterate  is  beyond  the  power 
of  divine  mercy  to  wash  away. 

We  are  informed  that  there  was  one  instance  of 
a  posssessed  of  a  devil  whose  case  was  beyond  the 
power  of  the  disciples  of  Jesus ;  but  Jesus  cast  him 
out,  and  told  the  disciples  that  their  unbelief  was 
the  reason  that  they  failed  of  this  miracle.  The 
same  may  be  the  case  with  many  even  now,  they 
can  find  sins  which  they  think  cannot,  be  washed 
away,  but  all  this  is  owing  to  their  unbelief. 

The  case  of  Lazarus  was  attended  with  peculiar 
circumstances  which  may  be  profitably  noticed  in 
the  present  argument.  When  Jesus  advanced  to- 
ward the  sepulchre,  the  weeping  sister  Martha  ex- 
claimed, "  Lord,  by  this  time  he  stinketh  ;  for  he 


407 

hath  been  dead  four  days."  Probably  her  thoughts 
were  the  following.  Hadst  thou  but  come  in  sea- 
son, such  is  thy  power,  thou  rnightest  have  prevent- 
ed my  brother's  death,  or  even  after  his  breath  bad 
left  his  body,  possibly  hadst  thou  been  here  to  ex- 
ert thy  power  before  corruption  had  begun  its 
work,  the  event  might  have  been  to  the  praise  of 
thy  glorious  power  and  to  our  consolation.  But 
the  precious  time  is  gone,  the  opportunity  is  lost, 
four  days  have  surely  carried  my  brother  beyond 
the  reach  of  thy  restoring  power.  But  notwith- 
standing all  this  reasoning,  at  the  words  of  Jesus, 
"  Lazarus,  come  forth,"  the  dead  was  raised. 

Like  faithless  Martha,  many  who  profess  to  be 
the  disciples  of  Jesus,  have  made  their  calculations, 
by  which  they  have  bounded  Ihe  grace  of  God,  and 
carried  sinners  of  a  certain  character  beyond  those 
limits.  It  is  frequently  the  topic  of  our  preachers, 
to  set  forth,  in  the  most  lamentable  language,  the 
awful  situation  of  thousands  and  millions  of  their 
fellow  creatures,  who,  they  say,  will  come  short  of 
the  divine  mercy,  through  delay.  Had  they  ex- 
erted their  powers  in  season,  had  they  improved 
their  precious  moments  of  probation,  all  would 
have  been  well  and  the  prize  secure.  But  it  is  now 
too  late.  The  door  of  mercy  is  shut.  And  though 
the  poor  wretched  sinner  would  now  give  a  thou- 
sand worlds,  if  he  had  them,  for  one  hour  in  which 
he  might  repent,  he  is  denied  the  privilege  of  re- 
penting forever. 

With  such  appalling  language  as  this,  and  more 
to  the  utmost  stretch  of  imagination  assisted  by  the 
blindest  enthusiasm,  the  feeble  nerves  and  delicate 
minds  of  women  and  children  are  terrified  into  a 
kind  of  religious  delirium.  But  surely  one  plain 
testimony  of  divine  truth  removes  all  those  gloomy 
fears.  "  Where  sin  abounded,  grace  did  much  more 
abound." 


408 

But  it  is  not  enough  that  we  prove  the  proposi- 
tion that,  the  grace  of  God  revealed  in  the  gospel 
is  sufficient  to  take  away  the  sin  of  the  world ;  it  is  of 
still  greater  consequence  that  the  mind  should  un- 
derstand the  nature  of  this  great  truth.  For  this 
kind  of  knowledge  is  that  which  changes  the  mind 
from  darkness  to  light,  and  delivers  it  from  the 
reigning  power  of  sin  to  the  Jove  of  holiness  and  to 
the  obedience  of  the  just. 

The  doctrine  of  Jesus  Christ  reveals  the  divine 
character  to  the  understanding  whereby  the  sinner 
is  brought  to  know  God,  whom  to  know  is  life  eter- 
nal; God  is  love,  and  love  has  the  power  to  trans- 
form the  mind  into  its  own  image;  God  is  justice, 
and  justice  forms  its  own  character  in  the  heart  of 
its  moral  subject ;  God  is  truth,  and  truth  drives 
out  error  and  takes  up  its  residence  in  the  soul ; 
God  is  holiness,  and  holiness  washes  out  every  stain 
of  sin,  and  implants  in  the  mind  a  love  to  its  divin- 
ity. The  sinner  thus  saved,  thus  delivered  from 
sin  is  made  rationally  happy  in  the  enjoyment  of 
those  moral  perfections  which  are  the  natural  ele- 
ments of  a  moral  being.  All  that  can  be  termed 
sinfulness  is  just  as  contrary  to  the  health  of  the 
soul,  as  disorders  of  the  body  are  to  the  health  of 
the  body.  And  all  the  salvation  which  a  sick  man 
needs  is  to  be  delivered  from  his  sickness,  and  all 
the  salvation  a  sinner  needs  is  to  be  saved  from  his 
sins. 

The  opinion  that  a  time  will  ever  come  when  it 
will  not  be  just  in  the  nature  of  things  for  a  sinner 
to  repent,  embraces  and  necessarily  implies  the  ab- 
surdity that  it  will  be  just  for  the  sinner  to  continue 
in  sin! 

But  the  common  doctrine  of  the  church  contends 
that  if  men  do  not  repent  of  their  sins  in  this  life, 
they  will  not  be  allowed  the  privilege  of  repenting 
in  a  future  state,  and  therefore  must  remain  sinful 
forever.  Now  all  these  notions  are  the  offpring  of 
52 


imagination,  and  have  no  foundation  in  reason  nor 
in  the  scripture  of  truth.  The  gospel  was  sent  into 
this  world  for  the  purpose  of  reforming  mankind, 
and  reconciling  the  nations  to  God.  It  was  need- 
ed here,  because  it  is  here  that  men  are  sinners.  If 
it  could  be  proved  that  the  next  state  of  existence 
is  one  subject  to  these  moral  infirmities,  what  rea- 
son can  there  be  offered  that  their  remedy  will  not 
be  found  in  that  state  as  well  as  in  this.  We  have 
physicians  and  medicine  in  this  mortal  state,  and  it 
is  thought  by  some  that  there  are  medicines  in  ev- 
ery climate  sufficient  for  the  disorders  of  that  cli- 
mate. Now  if  the  next  state  be  incident  to  sick- 
ness and  disorders,  what  reason  can  there  be  offer- 
ed that  there  will  not  be  physicians  and  suitable 
medicines  in  that  state  to  cure  those  disorders? — 
When  the  great  physician  of  souls  was  here  on 
earth,  he  was  never  known  to  shun  a  place  because 
sickness  or  wickedness  was  there.  He,  no  doubt, 
knew  that  legions  possessed  the  man  in  the  country 
of  the  Gadarines,  yet  he  went  there,  and  there  he 
cast  out  the  devils ;  and  if  on  the  other  side  of 
death  legions  of  demons  possess  men  no  doubt  Je- 
sus will  in  due  time  cast  them  out. 

The  hearer  is  cautioned  against  supposing  that 
we  allow  that  the  next  state  will  be  subject  to  sick- 
.ness  or  to  sin  ;  we  distinctly  say  that  the  evidence 
of  this  is  wanting  both  in  scripture  and  reason. 

As  the  inconveniences  of  sickness  and  disorder 
are  sufficient  to  induce  the  patient  to  apply  to  a 
physician,  so  the  painful  infelicities  of  sin  are  the 
proper  inducements  to  apply  to  the  spiritual  phy- 
sician, whose  doctrine  is  amply  efficacious  in  re- 
moving our  sins  from  us.  The  supposition  that  has 
taken  the  lead  of  the  minds  of  religious  people, 
that  it  would  be  desirable  to  live  in  sin  in  this  world, 
if  it  were  not  that  it  is  so  offensive  to  God,  that  he 
will  punish  them  forever  hereafter  to  show  his  re- 
sentment, is  one  of  the  most  pernicious  deceptions 


410       . 

that  ever  darkened  the  understanding;  of  mankind. 
This  deception  is  the  means  of  continuing  people 
in  the  love  of  sin.  They  long  to  live  in  it,  and 
would  without  restraint,  were  it  not  for  this  system 
of  fear.  But  it  has  been  fully  proved  that  this  ter- 
ror is  no  real  security  to  a  virtuous  life.  Those  who 
are  the  strongest  advocates  for  this  doctrine  of  tor- 
menting men  in  another  world,  because  they  hav7e 
been  sinners  here,  are,  in  general,  as  wicked  men  as 
any  other  class.  It  is  true  they  endeavour  to  be 
more  secret  in  the  practice  of  vice,  but  this  only 
adds  the  wickedness  of  hypocrisy  to  the  rest  of 
their  sins.  These  remarks  are  by  no  means  di- 
rected against  any  particular  denomination,  they 
are  designed  for  general  application.  The  fact  is, 
if  men  are  really  virtuous,  they  are  so  from  the  love 
they  have  for  the  moral  principles  of  our  common 
nature  ;  and  we  are  happy  to  find  some  of  this  des- 
scription  among  all  denominations  and  in  every 
cJass  of  citizens. 

It  would  be  most  glaringly  absurd  for  one  to  tell 
a  sick  man  languishing  with  distressing  pain,  that  as 
there  is  no  penal  law  by  which  any  punishment  can 
be  inflicted  on  him  for  being  sick,  he  had  better  not 
send  for  a  physician,  nor  give  himself  any  trouble 
about  recovering  his  health.  A  patient  who  should 
be  treated  with  such  communication  would  surely 
think  himself  trifled  with.  If  one  who  knew  the  sit- 
uation of  the  woman,  who  pressed  through  the 
crowd  to  reach  the  garment  of  Jesus,  had  told  her, 
that  no  punishment  would  be  inflicted  on  her  if  she 
did  not  go  to  him,  and  therefore  she  might  indulge 
in  the  pleasures  of  her  disorder,  would  she  have 
supposed  the  person  serious  ?  But  this  would  have 
been  no  more  absurd  than  it  is  to  tell  sinners,  that 
if  there  be  no  everlasting  damnation  in  the  eternal 
world  for  their  sins  in  this,  they  may  indulge  in  all 
the  pleasures  of  sin.  As  sin  is  a  disorder  it  cer- 
tainly deprives  of  happiness,  and  plunges  the  sinner 


41J 

into  misery ;  and  if  there  be  any  propriety  in  urg- 
ing those  who  are  sick  to  apply  to  a  physician, 
there  certainly  is  the  same  propriety  in  urging  sin- 
ners to  come  to  Christ,  that  is,  to  come  to  his  doc- 
trine, to  his  truth,  to  his  spirit.  And  the  language 
of  the  Redeemer's  invitation  is  most  reasonable  ; 
"  Come  unto  me  all  ye  who  labour  and  are  heavy 
laden,  and  I  will  give  you  rest." 

The  motives  which  influenced  the  multitude, 
who  thronged  Jesus  as  he  went  to  the  house  of  Jai- 
rus,  were  no  doubt  various.  Some  probably,  saw 
Jesus  now  for  the  first  time,  and  were  highly  incit- 
ed with  the  hope  of  seeing  a  miracle  wrought.  Per- 
haps others  were  his  bitter  enemies,  and  were  on 
the  look  out  to  discover  some  fraud  or  deception 
in  the  man.  Some  went  in  the  crowd  because  oth- 
ers were  going,  and  they  went  for  the  sake  of  the 
company.  Some  no  doubt  went  froin  the  laudable 
motive  of  giving  their  countenance  and  support  to 
the  divine  teacher  in  whom  they  most  sincerely  be- 
lieved. Some  very  likely  were  there  who  had  ex- 
perienced the  healing  power  of  the  Redeemer,  and 
were  rejoiced  to  have  an  opportunity  of  seeing  a 
miracle  of  mercy  again  performed.  But  among 
the  whole  there  was  one  distressed  woman  whose 
mind  was  far  from  speculative  contemplations. 
She  was  impelled  to  press  through  the  crowd  that 
she  might  be  healed  of  her  own  infirmity. 

As  it  was  with  the  multitude,  who,  on  various  oc- 
casions thronged  our  Saviour  in  the  days  of  his 
ministry  on  earth,  when  some  for  one  motive  and 
some  for  another  joined  those  vast  assemblies,  so, 
no  doubt,  it  is  with  those  who  now  assemble  where 
the  healing  doctrine  of  Jesus  is  preached.  Some 
from  curiosity,  some  from  habit,  some  from  fash- 
ion, some  to  keep  the  company  of  others,  some  we 
hope  go  because  they  love  the  words  of  everlasting 
life,  and  now  and  then  one,  perhaps,  who  feeling 
the  infirmity  of  their  own  sinful  heart,  go  with  a 


412 

determination  to  press  through  every  obstacle  and 
come  to  Jesus,  who  is  the  way,  the  truth,  and  the 
life;  who  is  the  fountain  opened  for  sin  and  un- 
cleanness. 

While  delivering  this  course  of  lectures  your 
servant  has  often  thought  of  the  possible  motives 
which  occasioned  such  uncommon  assemblies  to 
crowd  every  part  of  this  house,  and  a  hope  has  been 
entertained  that  among  the  many,  a  few,  at  least, 
were  striving  to  find  him  of  whom  Moses  in  the 
law,  and  the  prophets  did  write.  A  fervent  desire 
has  been  exercised  that  the  doctrine  of  our  blessed 
Redeemer  might  be  held  up  to  the  view  of  the 
hearers,  that  they  might  reach  forth  the  hand  of 
faith  and  lay  hold  on  the  hope  which  is  set  before 
them. 

Being  taught  by  the  Saviour,  we  did  not  indulge 
in  an  expectation  that  the  word  of  truth  would  be 
received  and  kept  by  all  who  heard  it.  Jesus  re- 
presented the  success  of  his  own  preaching  by  the 
instructive  parable  of  the  sower,  who  went  forth  to 
sow  ;  t6  and  as  he  sowed  some  seeds  fell  by  the  way- 
side, and  the  fowls  came  and  devoured  them  up. 
Some  fell  upon  stony  places,  where  they  had  not 
much  earth ;  and  forthwith  they  sprang  up,  because 
they  had  no  deepness  of  earth,  and  when  the  sun 
was  up  they  were  scorched ;  and  because  they 
had  no  root  they  withered  away.  And  some  fell 
among  thorns ;  and  the  thorns  sprang  up  and  choked 
them.  But  others  fell  into  good  ground,  and  brought 
forth  fruit,  some  an  hundred  fold,  some  sixty  fold, 
some  thirty  fold."  If  such  has  been  the  success  of 
those  feeble  efforts  made  to  propagate  the  gospel 
of  the  kingdom  in  this  place,  surely  we  have  reason 
to  be  thankful  to  the  Lord  of  the  vineyard.  If 
while  the  enemies  of  the  word  have,  like  the  birds 
in  the  parable,  taken  away  that  which  was  sown  in 
the  heart,  if  while  the  spirit  of  persecution  agitating 
the  tongue  of  censure  has  caused  many  to  shrink 


413 

from  a  steady  perseverance  in  what  they  gladly 
received,  if  while  the  cares  of  the  world,  the  deceit- 
fulness  of  riches,  and  the  lust  of  other  things  have, 
like  thorns,  sprang  up  and  choked  the  word  in 
some,  others  have  received  it  in  good  and  honest 
hearts,  have  retained  the  precious  grain,  and 
brought  forth  fruit  to  the  honour  of  God,  our  la- 
bours have  not  been  in  vain,  our  exertions  are 
amply  rewarded. 

This  last,  of  the  course  of  lectures  proposed  for 
publication,  in  its  conclusion,  will  call  on  all  who 
hear,  to  form  the  resolution  which  enabled  the  wo- 
man to  press  through  the  crowd  and  come  to  Jesus, 
and  come  to  him  likewise.  That  is,  that  you  strive 
to  the  utmost  of  your  well  directed  abilities  and 
means  to  come  to  the  knowledge  of  the  Saviour's 
doctrine. 

Is  it  not  the  case  with  many,  as  it  was  with  the 
woman,  have  you  not  spent  much  and  suffered  ma- 
ny things  of  those  "  physicians  of  no  value,"  who 
have  endeavoured  to  heal  you  with  the  doctrines 
and  commandments  of  men  ?  arid  do  you  not  find 
that  after  all  you  are  none  the  better?  Have  you 
found  peace  in  believing  that  our  heavenly  Father 
has  elected  some  to  everlasting  life,  and  reprobated 
the  rest  to  endless  woe?  Have  you  found  that  all 
your  plague  is  healed  by  fancying  that  you  are 
elected  unto  life  eternal,  while  your  companions 
and  children  may  be  devoted  to  everlasting  sor- 
row ?  Can  such  medicine  as  this  make  you  perfect- 
ly whole.  No,  but  in  the  bitterness  of  your  souls, 
when  you  look  on  your  little  ones,  and  believe  that 
they  are  exposed  to  endless  ruin,  you  cry  out  as 
Abraham  did,  "  O  that  Ishmael  might  live  before 
the  Lord."  Come  then,  my  friends,  to  the  peace- 
ful doctrine  of  Jesus,  who  took  little  children  in  his 
arms  and  blessed  them,  and  said,  "  of  such  is  the 
kingdom  of  heaven."  O  the  peace  there  is  in  be- 


414 

lieving  this  testimony  ?  It  overcomes  the  plague  of 
unbelief,  and  fills  the  heart  with  joy. 

Can  you  find  any  real  relief  from  the  power  of  a 
carnal  heart,  by  believing  that  your  immortal  state 
depends  on  your  own  good  works  in  this  imperfect 
state  ?  Do  you  feel  whole  from  all  your  plagues 
by  believing  in  this  prevailing  doctrine  which  rests 
the  weight  of  eternity  on  the  imperfect  works  of 
mortality  and  time  ?  This  doctrine  of  human  con- 
trivance, always  associates  the  "  heart-chilling" 
doctrine  of  endless  misery  for  those  who  come 
short  of  their  duty,  with  every  pleasing  prospect 
of  a  world  of  joy  for  those  who  by  their  good 
works  win  the  immortal  prize.  This  doctrine  as 
well  as  that  of  election  and  reprobation  makes  an 
eternal  separation  between  those  of  the  most  en- 
dearing connexions  on  earth.  Why  is  there  so 
much  mourning,  so  much  gloominess  on  the  coun- 
tenances of  those  who  hope  to  gain  immortal  glory 
by  their  works  I  Is  it  because  they  have  pressed 
through  the  superstitions  of  the  church  and  caught 
hold  of  the  garment  of  the  Saviour  1  No,  this 
is  not  the  case.  They  have  endeavoured  to  mend 
their  own  garments,  and  they  find  the  rent  is 
continually  growing  worse.  Let  such  come  to 
to  the  Saviour's  doctrine,  and  believe  that  the  gift 
of  God  is  eternal  life,  and  they  shall  find  peace  in 
believing  and  joy  in  the  Holy  Ghost. 

Nothing  short  of  that  which  God  has  implanted 
in  the  soul  can  satisfy  the  mind.  The  apostle  says ; 
the  word  is  nigh  thee,  even  in  thy  heart  and  in  thy 
mouth,  the  word  of  faith  which  we  preach.  This 
word  of  faith  is  the  gift  of  God,  which  is  eternal 
life  in  Jesus ;  and  nothing  short  of  this  can  satisfy 
the  mind.  While  we  oppose  this  principle  we  op- 
pose our  own  happiness;,  and  while  we  shut  one 
individual  of  the  human  family  away  from  this 
word  of  life,  we  bring  death  to  our  own  souls  in  so 
doing. 


415 

Some  are  embarrassed  with  one  doctrine  and 
some  with  another,  that  they  are  prevented  from 
coming  to  the  doctrine  of  Jesus.  Many,  very  many, 
are  striving  to  feed  on  the  husks  that  the  unclean 
eat,  and  neglect  to  come  to  Christ.  The  vanities 
of  youth,  the  pride  and  fashions  of  the  age  keep 
thousands  back  from  coming  to  the  purifying  reli- 
gion of  Jesus ;  and  yet  his  willing,  his  gracious  arms 
are  extended,  as  in  the  last  day,  that  great  day  of 
the  feast,  when  he  stood  and  cried,  "  If  any  man 
thirst  let  him  come  to  me  and  drink." 

To  conclude — My  Christian  friends,  I  feel  it  my 
duty  as  well  as  a  pleasure,  when  I  reflect  on  the 
more  than  ordinary  attention  which  you  have  paid 
to  these  lectures,  and  the  liberal  patronage  with 
which  you  have  favoured  their  publication,  to  ten- 
der you  my  most  grateful  acknowledgments.  And 
while  I  am  constrained  deeply  to  regret  that  my 
labours  should  come  so  short  of  the  great  subjects 
^\n  which  I  have  treated,  I  humbly  prostrate  my 
soul  before  God,  and  implore  his  forgiveness  in 
every  particular  wherein  I  have  erred  through  ig- 
norance or  infirmity ;  and  earnestly  entreat  that 
these  feeble  efforts  may  be  attended  with  the  bles- 
sing of  him  who  fed  thousands  of  men,  women  and 
children  with  so  small  a  portion.  And  to  his  name 
alone  be  all  the  glory. — AMEN. 


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